Genomewide Linkage Scan of Resting Blood Pressure: HERITAGE Family Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to search for genomic regions influencing resting systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure (BP) in sedentary families (baseline), and for resting BP responses (changes) resulting from a 20-week exercise training intervention (post-training–baseline) in the Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training, and Genetics (HERITAGE) Family Study. A genome-wide scan was conducted on 317 black individuals from 114 families and 519 white individuals from 99 families using a multipoint variance-components linkage model and a panel of 509 markers. Promising results were primarily, but not exclusively, found in the black families. Linkage evidence (P <0.0023) with baseline BP replicated other studies within a 1-logarithm of odds (LOD) interval on 2p14, 3p26.3, and 12q21.33, and provided new evidence on 3q28, 11q21, and 19p12. Results for several known hypertension genes were less compelling. For response BP, results were not very strong, although markers on 13q11 were mildly suggestive (P <0.01). In conclusion, these HERITAGE data, in conjunction with results from previous genomewide scans, provide a basis for planning future investigations. The major areas warranting further study involve fine mapping to narrow down 3 regions on 2q, 3p, and 12q that may contain “novel” hypertension genes, additional typing of some biological candidate genes to determine whether they are the sources of these and other signals, multilocus investigations to understand how and to what extent some of these candidates may interact, and multivariate studies to characterize any pleiotropy.