Abstract
Hypertension is strongly influenced by genetic factors. Although
hypertension prevalence in some Hispanic sub-populations is greater than in
non-Hispanic whites, genetic studies on hypertension have focused primarily on
samples of European descent. A recent meta-analysis of 200,000 individuals of
European descent identified 29 common genetic variants that influence blood
pressure, and a genetic risk score derived from the 29 variants has been
proposed. We sought to evaluate the utility of this genetic risk score in
Hispanics. The sample set consists of 1994 Hispanics from two cohorts: the
Northern Manhattan Study (primarily Dominican/Puerto Rican) and the Miami
Cardiovascular Registry (primarily Cuban/South American). Risk scores for
systolic and diastolic blood pressure were computed as a weighted sum of the
risk alleles, with the regression coefficients reported in the European
meta-analysis used as weights. Association of risk score with blood pressure was
tested within each cohort, adjusting for age, age squared, sex, and BMI. Results
were combined using an inverse-variance meta-analysis. The risk score was
significantly associated with blood pressure in our combined sample (p = 5.65
× 10
−4
for systolic and p = 1.65 ×
10
−3
for diastolic) but the magnitude of the regression
coefficients varied by degree of European, African, and Native American
admixture. Further studies among other Hispanic sub-populations are needed to
elucidate the role of these 29 variants and identify additional genetic and
environmental factors contributing to blood pressure variability in
Hispanics.
