Gene link to high blood pressure
Key gene linked to high blood pressure identified
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A gene that affects how the kidneys process salt may help determine a person’s risk of high blood pressure, a discovery that could lead to better ways to treat the condition, researchers said on Monday (12/29/08).
People with a common variant of the gene STK39 tend to have higher blood pressure levels and are more likely to develop full-blown high blood pressure, also called hypertension, University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers found.
They identified the gene’s role in high blood pressure susceptibility by analyzing the genes of 542 people in the insular Old Order Amish community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
The researchers confirmed the findings by looking at the genes of another group of Amish people as well as four other groups of white people in the United States and Europe.
About 20 percent of the people studied had either one or two copies of this particular variant, the researchers said. [...]
Source: Yahoo News/Reuters – click here for full article
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