title: A review of genetics, arterial stiffness, and blood pressure in African Americans.
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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, 4-106 NHH, 312 Church Street, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. jlhall@umn.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Duprez
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barac
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Rich
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000235:genetics*; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000235:genetics*; D003187:Compliance; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D040941:Heredity; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010641:Phenotype; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology