Genetics of high blood pressure

High blood pressure (HBP) is common. One in three adults has HBP. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80. Two main factors decide your blood pressure. One is the force needed to get blood through your arteries. The more narrow your arteries, the higher your blood pressure. This is the top number. A good range is 80-120. 140 or more is high. The other factor is how much blood your heart pumps. More blood means higher blood pressure. This is the bottom number. We want this number to be between 60 and 80. 90 or more is high blood pressure. You may have HBP and not know it. It does not always have symptoms. But, it can still cause damage to your heart or blood vessels. HBP develops over time. We do not always know what causes HBP. Not all people with HBP can control it. Some people can control HBP with medicine. Others can control it with diet or working out. Scientists think that changes in certain genes may play a role. Researchers at Vanderbilt will use BioVU to try to learn more about HBP. They will look for gene changes linked to HBP. They will also look at other conditions linked to those gene changes. They hope to learn more about HBP. Their results may help us find better treatments for people at risk for HBP. We may also learn more about related conditions.