Published: 17 September 2018
Researchers at the NIHR Barts Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre have discovered over 500 gene regions that influence people’s blood pressure, in the largest global genetic study of blood pressure to date.
The results from the study of over million participants more than triples the number of gene regions known to influence blood pressure, so that almost a third of the estimated heritability for blood pressure is now explained.
The study - published in Nature Genetics and supported by the NIHR, Medical Research Council and British Heart Foundation - also reports a strong role of these genes not only in blood vessels but also within the adrenal glands above the kidney and in body fat.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease and was responsible for an estimated 7.8 million deaths worldwide in 2015.
The lifestyle risk factors for high blood pressure are relatively well known, such as obesity, smoking, alcohol and high salt intake. High blood pressure is also highly heritable through genetics, but the genetic architecture of blood pressure has not previously been well understood.
Lead researcher Professor Mark Caulfield, Professor of Cardiovascular Genetics at Queen Mary University of London and Director of the NIHR Barts Biomedical Research Centre, said: “This is the most major advance in blood pressure genetics to date. We now know that there are over 1,000 genetic signals that influence our blood pressure. This provides us with many new insights into how our bodies regulate blood pressure, and has revealed several new opportunities for future drug development.
“With this information, we could calculate a person’s genetic risk score for high blood pressure in later life. Taking a precision medicine approach, doctors could target early lifestyle interventions to those with a high genetic risk, such as losing weight, reducing alcohol consumption and increasing exercise.”
The research team analysed the DNA of more than one million people (including almost 500,000 from the UK Biobank cohort) and cross-referenced the genetic information with their blood pressure data.
By comparing the group with the highest genetic risk of high blood pressure with those in the lowest risk group, the team were able to calculate that all the genetic variants were associated with having around a 13 mm Hg higher blood pressure, having 3.34 times the odds for increased risk of hypertension, and 1.52 times the odds for increased risk of poor cardiovascular outcomes.
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and Social Care, said: “This large and significant piece of research shows how multiple genetic factors influence blood pressure, providing evidence that is likely to translate into preventative and curative measures for patients in years to come. This collaboration between researchers at four NIHR Biomedical Research Centres exemplifies how NIHR infrastructure pools UK research capacity to support world leading research.”