News - Hypertension Week of October 5, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 40

Gene Tests May Help Find Most Effective Hypertension Medication

Knowng the genes that can cause hypertension may also determine which blood pressure-lowering drugs are most effective for different people, according to findings presented recently at the American Heart Association's annual blood pressure research conference in Washington.

The finding could help physicians tailor medication to people with high blood pressure who are most likely to respond, according to study co-author Sharon Kardia, director of the University of Michigan Public Health Genetics Program.

The researchers recorded what drugs the 1,162 study participants with hypertension were taking and their blood pressure levels after their treatments. The researchers also screened participants for specific genes shown in previous studies to affect blood pressure.

The genes adducin 2 and solute-carrier 9A were found to be associated with blood pressure. The researchers identified a single variant in the gene adducin 2 that was associated with lower average systolic blood pressure in people treated with beta-blockers only.

Participants with a variant in the solute-carrier 9A gene who were being treated with beta-blockers had lower diastolic blood pressure on average than those with the same genetic makeup taking only calcium channel blockers.

"This response variation probably stems from differences in underlying mechanisms that control blood pressure in individuals," Kardia said. "One person might have high blood pressure due to their kidneys reabsorbing too much sodium. That patient, as a result, would probably respond best to a diuretic."

"These findings need to be confirmed in controlled clinical trials," Kardia continued. "If confirmed, this would be another piece of the puzzle explaining why high blood pressure occurs and how best to control it."

Study co-author Eric Boerwinkle, director of the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, said knowing about these genes and their variants would help researchers predict which people are at greater risk for high blood pressure, identify and develop new treatments to lower blood pressure and help target treatment so that patients get the most effective medication to treat their high blood pressure.

Other sources: American Heart Association