A study by scientists at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Canada has found new genetic sequences that could inform interventions aimed at reducing high blood pressure. The scientists identified commonly overlooked fragments of the genome known as non-coding DNA, but used computer-assisted techniques to investigate genetic variants and their likely effect on nearby genes. The research outlines a “functional map of the regulators of blood pressure genes that can not only inform future investigations into cardiovascular genomics, but that also presents a framework that can be applied to study other genetic conditions”, according to Dr Philipp Maass, a scientist at SickKids. High blood pressure affects 1.25 billion people worldwide, frequently increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
