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A Review of Genetics, Arterial Stiffness, and Blood Pressure in African Americans

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Abstract

The prevalence of hypertension in African Americans in the USA is among the highest in the world and increasing. The identification of genes and pathways regulating blood pressure in African Americans has been challenging. An early predictor of hypertension is arterial stiffness. The prevalence of arterial stiffness is significantly higher in African Americans compared to Caucasians. Approximately 20 % of the variance in arterial stiffness is estimated to be heritable. Identifying genes and biological pathways regulating arterial stiffness may provide insight into the genetics underlying the increased risk of hypertension in African Americans. This paper reviews the genetic findings to date in the area of arterial stiffness and blood pressure in African Americans with an emphasis on the current limitations and new efforts to move the field forward.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, 4-106 NHH, 312 Church Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Jennifer L. Hall & Daniel A. Duprez

  2. Washington Hospital Center, MedStar Heart Institute, Washington, DC, USA

    Ana Barac

  3. Center for Public Health Genomics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Stephen S. Rich

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  1. Jennifer L. Hall
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Hall, J.L., Duprez, D.A., Barac, A. et al. A Review of Genetics, Arterial Stiffness, and Blood Pressure in African Americans. J. of Cardiovasc. Trans. Res. 5, 302–308 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12265-012-9362-y

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