Interaction between blood pressure, genetics and gender throws up surprising connections

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A new study shows that the influence of gene variants on blood pressure depends upon gender.
High blood pressure is known to increase risk of heart disease and stroke. It is also known that high blood pressure runs in families, so there is a genetic influence involved. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, now report on a study of the genetic profiles of more than 1,200 men and women. They focused on those with the highest and lowest blood pressure.

There were six genes, out of 35 investigated, which showed genetic variants among the high and low blood pressure groups. These could potentially affect response to blood pressure-lowering drugs - specifically, beta-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. The study showed that two of the genes affected blood pressure only in men, two affected blood pressure only among women, and the other two had no obvious gender-specific effect. The findings show that when it comes to tailoring blood pressure treatment to the individual patient, based on their genetic profile, gender is a factor that must be taken into account.

Source
Hypertension January 2006

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