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Published on: June 7, 2013
Genetics of hypertension and cardiovascular disease and their interconnected pathways: lessons from large studies
Aldi T Kraja1, Steven C Hunt, D C Rao
1Division of Statistical Genomics, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA. aldi@wustl.edu
Abstract:
Blood pressure (BP), hypertension (HT) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are common complex phenotypes, which are affected by multiple genetic and environmental factors. This article describes recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that have reported causative variants for BP/HT and CVD/heart traits and analyzes the overlapping associated gene polymorphisms. It also examines potential replication of findings from the HyperGEN data on African Americans and whites. Several genes involved in BP/HT regulation also appear to be involved in CVD. A better picture is emerging, with overlapping hot-spot regions and with interconnected pathways between BP/HT and CVD. A systemic approach to full understanding of BP/HT and CVD development and their progression to disease may lead to the identification of gene targets and pathways for the development of novel therapeutic interventions.
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