Multi-omics approaches reveal new targets and mediating mechanisms for blood pressure

Genomic and environmental factors contribute to blood pressure (BP); however, the exact causal factors and their mediating mechanisms are still unclear. The heritability of BP has been well established, but does not provide insights into underlying biology. Recently conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and post-GWAS follow ups (۱,۲) have uncovered many genetic loci for BP. However the gap between genetic loci and underlying biology is still large and needs to be bridged. Here we investigated GWAS results of ۱ million individuals (۳) with different methods to elucidate the underlying biology behind genetic markers associated with blood pressure.

Keywords:

Association , blood pressure , gene prioritization , causality , mechanism.