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Genetic influences on blood pressure response to the cold pressor test: results from the Heredity and Phenotype

Marie-Hélène Roy-Gagnon1, Matthew R Weir, John D Sorkin

  • 1Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Journal of Hypertension
|March 11, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Blood pressure response to the cold pressor test (CPT) is heritable, with genetics influencing both reactivity and recovery. Shared genetic factors impact blood pressure (BP) changes during and after CPT, highlighting the need for further genetic variant identification.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Genetics
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Blood pressure (BP) response to the cold pressor test (CPT) predicts hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
  • Determinants of BP response to CPT, especially genetic factors, are not well understood.
  • The genetics of BP recovery post-CPT and shared genetic influences on reactivity and recovery remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the heritability of BP reactivity and recovery following CPT.
  • To examine genetic correlations between baseline BP, BP reactivity, and BP recovery.
  • To determine if shared genetic factors influence both BP reactivity and recovery after CPT.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 835 participants in 18 extended Amish families from the Heredity and Phenotype Intervention Heart Study.
  • Administered a 2.5-minute hand CPT to assess BP reactivity and recovery.
  • Estimated heritability and genetic correlations for BP phenotypes using incremental area under the curve measurements.

Main Results:

  • BP reactivity and recovery heritability estimates for both systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were significant (P < 0.01).
  • Additive genetic effects accounted for 12-25% of the total variation in BP response.
  • Significant genetic correlations were found between DBP reactivity and recovery (0.74) and SBP reactivity and recovery (0.81).

Conclusions:

  • BP response to CPT is heritable, independent of baseline BP.
  • Both shared and unshared genetic factors influence BP reactivity and recovery.
  • Identifying genetic variants that influence both BP reactivity and recovery is crucial.
Abstract

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