One in every three adults globally has high blood pressure, or hypertension, with about 10 million people dying each year due to the condition. While certain risk factors such as age, ethnicity, and existing health conditions can increase the risk of hypertension, lifestyle changes like weight loss, healthy eating, exercise, and smoking cessation can help reduce this risk. Queen Mary University of London researchers have now identified over 100 new regions of the human genome and more than 2,000 genetic signals that influence blood pressure. These findings could assist doctors in predicting an individual’s risk of developing high blood pressure.
The study analyzed genetic data from over 1 million individuals, identifying new genomic loci and genetic signals for blood pressure regulation. Over 2,000 independent genetic signals were found across all loci, influencing various biological pathways associated with blood pressure regulation. The researchers calculated polygenic risk scores based on these genetic findings, which showed that individuals with the highest genetic risk for hypertension had systolic blood pressure levels 17 mmHg higher and a seven-times higher likelihood of developing high blood pressure compared to those with the lowest genetic risk.
According to Dr. Helen Warren, a senior lecturer in statistical genetics and the study’s senior author, blood pressure is a complex trait influenced by thousands of genetic variants that have small effects on blood pressure levels. Polygenic risk scores can aggregate the effects of all genetic variants, providing a useful tool for predicting an individual’s genetic risk of hypertension. By identifying those at higher genetic risk earlier in life, doctors can monitor their blood pressure more closely and recommend lifestyle or therapeutic interventions to mitigate future cardiovascular risks.
Interviewed experts, including Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, an interventional cardiologist, agreed that genome-wide association studies have been instrumental in identifying genetic markers associated with hypertension. These findings may lead to improved diagnostic and treatment modalities for patients at risk of high blood pressure. The study’s discoveries could help in designing future prevention strategies for hypertension, complementing existing risk factors and enhancing the identification of patients at risk for developing high blood pressure in the future. Overall, the study’s genetic findings may contribute to advancing personalized medicine and improving the management of hypertension in clinical practice.
