Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent polling data. Only 24 percent of adults with hypertension, defined as blood pressure greater than 140/90 mm Hg, have success using medication to return their blood pressure to normal levels.
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh recently solved one piece of the puzzle with their discovery of a rare gene mutation that contributes to hypertension. Experts in the field have differing perspectives on how the discovery could affect treatment for high blood pressure, which can be caused by lifestyle or genetics.
Screening tools for rare genetic mutations already exist, [researcher Michelle] Gumz suggested, in the form of DNA kits. Companies such as 23andMe offer test kits that provide individuals with genetic risk data for diseases that include high blood pressure. Patients could bring this information to their doctors, which could aid in tailoring their blood pressure medications. For example, amiloride, a diuretic drug that works to lower blood pressure by inhibiting ENaC, could work as a targeted drug for someone with a known mutation in this channel.
