High blood pressure is a well-known risk factor for heart disease. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have participated in an international study of 200,000 Europeans which has identified 16 new genetic variations that affect blood pressure. The discovery, presented in Nature, is an important step towards better diagnostics and treatment.
A billion people worldwide suffer from high blood pressure and are therefore in the danger zone for the likes of heart disease and stroke. Effective prediction and control of high blood pressure is therefore one of the most pressing global health issues.
Analyzing genetic data
Researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg are among an international consortium of more than 400 researchers from the US, Europe, Asia and Australia hoping to identify which parts of our genes influence blood pressure by sifting through vast quantities of genetic data.
2.5 million DNA variations
In their latest study, the researchers analysed more than 2.5 million DNA variations from more than 200,000 Europeans. The results, published in the renowned journal Nature, reveal 16 previously unknown genetic regions with interesting genes that regulate the body’s blood pressure – both the lower level when the heart expands (diastolic) and the upper level when the heart contracts (systolic).
Article source: http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Genetic-Variants-Triggering-High-Blood-Pressure-Identified-90875-1.htm