A Review of the Genetics of Hypertension with a Focus on Gene-Environment Interactions

Purpose of Review: Here, we discuss the interpretation and modeling of gene-environment interactions in hypertension-related phenotypes, with a focus on the necessary assumptions and possible challenges. Recent Findings: Recently, small cohort studies have discovered several novel genetic variants associated with hypertension-related phenotypes through modeling gene-environment interactions. Several consortia-based meta-analytic efforts have uncovered many novel genetic variants in hypertension without modeling interaction terms, giving promise to future meta-analytic efforts that incorporate gene-environment interactions. Summary: Heritability studies and genome-wide association studies have established that hypertension, a prevalent cardiovascular disease, has a genetic component that may be modulated by the environment (such as lifestyle factors). This review includes a discussion of known genetic associations for hypertension/blood pressure, including those resulting from the incorporation of gene-environmental interaction modeling.