Major discovery in preventing cardiovascular diseases
19 Sep 2011
A group of Dutch researchers from Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, University Medical Center Utrecht, Leiden University Medical Center, VU University Amsterdam and University Medical Center Groningen have discovered a set of key genes that regulate blood pressure. These genes collectively not only predict the likelihood of developing hypertension but also the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
These diseases are currently the leading cause of death worldwide.
The findings provide important new perspectives for drug development. The researchers published their results in two leading international journals: Nature en Nature Genetics.
The research results are a great leap forward in the knowledge on the genetic influence on blood pressure. A major finding was the fact that the genes are also of significance for people of Asian and African origin. Hypertension is a very common condition in these population categories. Patients of African origin are particularly difficult to treat for hypertension with regular medication because other mechanisms play a role. The study has revealed new processes that play a major role in the blood pressure of different ethnic groups and therefore provides new opportunities in the development of medication for patients with high blood pressure. There is still a substantial group of patients for whom the existing drugs cannot sufficiently keep the high blood pressure under control. Satisfactory treatment is extremely important as even small differences in blood pressure can increase the risk of a stroke or heart attack. Van Duijn: “The value of the set of genes regulating the blood pressure is shown by the fact that together they also ascertain the risk of cardiovascular diseases, damage to the left ventricle and strokes.”