Key result
Significant heritability was observed for 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure (estimate 0.37 ± 0.07, P<0.001) and office blood pressure in a Swiss population-based family study.
Observational (n=1,009)
Effect estimate: Estimate 0.37 ± 0.07 (SE)
p-value: p=<0.001
Ambulatory and office blood pressure show significant heritability in the Swiss population, supporting the genetic basis of blood pressure regulation.
Supports BP heritability estimates; leaves open causal variant identification and clinical translation.
BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) is known to aggregate in families. Yet, heritability estimates are population-specific and no Swiss data have been published so far. We estimated the heritability of ambulatory and office BP in a Swiss population-based sample. METHODS: The Swiss Kidney Project on Genes in Hypertension is a population-based family study focusing on BP genetics. Office and ambulatory BP were measured in 1009 individuals from 271 nuclear families. Heritability was estimated for SBP, DBP, and pulse pressure using a maximum likelihood method implanted in the Statistical Analysis in Genetic Epidemiology software. RESULTS: The 518 women and 491 men included in this analysis had a mean (±SD) age of 48.3 (±17.4) and 47.3 (±17.7) years, and a mean BMI of 23.8 (±4.2) and 25.9 (±4.1) kg/m, respectively. Narrow-sense heritability estimates (±standard error) for ambulatory SBP, DBP, and pulse pressure were 0.37 ± 0.07, 0.26 ± 0.07, and 0.29 ± 0.07 for 24-h BP; 0.39 ± 0.07, 0.28 ± 0.07, and 0.27 ± 0.07 for day BP; and 0.25 ± 0.07, 0.20 ± 0.07, and 0.30 ± 0.07 for night BP, respectively (all P < 0.001). Heritability estimates for office SBP, DBP, and pulse pressure were 0.21 ± 0.08, 0.25 ± 0.08, and 0.18 ± 0.07 (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We found significant heritability estimates for both ambulatory and office BP in this Swiss population-based study. Our findings justify the ongoing search for the genetic determinants of BP.
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Alwan et al. (2015) conducted an observational in Blood pressure (n=1,009). Genetic factors was evaluated on Heritability of 24-h ambulatory systolic blood pressure (Estimate 0.37 ± 0.07 (SE), p=<0.001). Significant heritability was observed for 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure (estimate 0.37 ± 0.07, P<0.001) and office blood pressure in a Swiss population-based family study.
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