Epidemiology and Genetics of Hypertension

The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in India as well as in the world. The average prevalence of hypertension in India is 25-30%. The median prevalence of total hypertension in 2009 was 37.6% in men and 40.1% in women in U.S. Hypertension is a major risk factor for majority of patients with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal morbidity and mortality. Environmental factors as well as genetic factors account for regulation of blood pressure and its control. Understanding of genetic factor may not only help in recognising those at risk but also help in treatment. Discovering hypertension susceptibility genes would help recognizing those at risk for developing the disease before the expression of clinical symptoms. Genetic and epidemiological studies have suggested that essential hypertension is a polygenic and multifactorial disorder that results from genetic and/or environmental factors. In India awareness, treatment and control status of hypertension is low, with only half of the urban and a quarter of the rural hypertensive individuals being aware of its presence. In this review we have discussed epidemiology and genetics of hypertension, both the monogenic and polygenic forms.