Black Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure than whites, and now a large new study has pinpointed four common genetic variations affecting their risk.
The study included nearly 30,000 black Americans at 19 sites across the United States and is the largest study to look at how genes influence blood pressure in black people, according to the researchers.
The investigators pointed out that most gene discoveries to date have been in white people and noted that previous studies in blacks failed to identify any genes associated with blood pressure.
Genes account for 40 percent to 50 percent of a person's risk for high blood pressure (hypertension). The four genetic variations identified in this study also affect other racial/ethnic groups, the researchers noted. Other risk factors for high blood pressure include lifestyle, diet and obesity. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_140705.html
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