Twenty percent of people carry a gene variant that makes them more susceptible to high blood pressure, according to a new study from the University of Maryland.
The gene produces a protein that helps regulate how the kidneys process salt, which plays a role in determining blood pressure, according to the study's authors.
The discovery of the gene could open up more options for treating high blood pressure, these researchers say.
"This discovery has great potential for enhancing our ability to tailor treatments to the individual -- what we call personalized medicine -- and to more effectively manage patients with hypertension. We hope that it will lead to new therapies to combat this serious public health problem worldwide," the senior author, Yen-Pei Christy Chang, an assistant professor of medicine and of epidemiology and preventive medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said in a statement.
Chang said more research needs to be done, however. Causes of hypertension vary greatly, and may have to do with a person's environment and lifestyle.
"We want to determine how people with different variations of this gene respond to diuretics and other medications, or to lifestyle changes, such as reducing the amount of salt in their diet. This information might help us discover the most effective way to control an individual patient's blood pressure," Chang said.
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