The interaction of genetic and environmental factors in the etiology of hypertension

Abstract

Essential hypertension is a major risk factor for several cardiovascular diseases. It is a complex trait resulting from the interactions of multiple genetic and environmental factors. Moreover, not only genetic but also epigenetic inheritance plays a significant role. One can speculate that hypertension develops as a consequence of “errors” in well-coordinated regulatory systems of blood pressure. Errors in the cascade of molecular, biochemical and genetic processes, which regulate blood pressure, have finally enough potential to result in hypertension. Numerous environmental factors surrounding the organism during its development should influence the expression of genetic information. However, despite the considerable research effort, it is still difficult to identify all genes and/or other genetic determinants leading to essential hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. This is mainly because these diseases usually become a medical problem in adulthood, although their roots might be traced back to earlier stages of ontogeny. The link between distinct developmental periods (e.g. birth and adulthood) should involve changes in gene expression involving epigenetic phenomena. The purpose of the present paper is to bring a piece of light on gene-environmental interactions potentially implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension.