Genetics of hypertension

What is Hypertension? 

Hypertension, also called high blood pressure, happens when blood pushes too hard against the walls of blood vessels. This puts extra stress on organs like the heart and kidneys. Things like unhealthy eating, not exercising enough, and being overweight can cause high blood pressure. However, changing one’s diet and taking medicine can help control this condition.

Those with this condition may experience the following symptoms:

• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Nosebleeds

How is the research done? 

Researchers at Vanderbilt are using BioVU resources to find genes associated with high blood pressure. Finding genetic links to high blood pressure can help the researchers predict who might be at risk for having high blood pressure. This can help them before more serious health conditions develop such as heart disease. 

What is the importance of this study? 

If high blood pressure is not treated, it can lead to other health problems like diabetes or heart disease, which can be deadly. This is a big problem worldwide. Knowing causes of high blood pressure can help find ways to detect it early and prevent it from causing more serious health problems in the future.