AN APPRAISAL OF THE GENETIC APPROACHES TO HIGH BLOOD-PRESSURE

Background The genetics of high blood pressure is a growing field. Rem arkable discoveries have been made in the rare genetic causes of hyper tension. However, if molecular biology is to achieve its full potentia l it must address more common forms of high blood pressure. The geneti cs of essential hypertension offers great potential but also presents special challenges. This review examines how genes might influence blo od pressure, how we might organize the search for underlying genes, wh ere we should look and the way in which genetic knowledge might be use d. Need for broad approach For reasons related to informative research design and the prevention of cardiovascular disease, genetic approach es need to address the variation of blood pressure from low to high le vels, not only hypertension. Need for genetic markers If there is to b e a time when DNA testing will be routine, then it will depend on disc overing genetic markers that are informative, reliable and cost-benefi cial.