Nature Genetics discovers a new genetic mutation that causes high blood pressure in pregnant women

An international study led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London and St.

The British research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, and their EME project collaborated with the Medical Research Council, the British Heart Foundation and Butts Charity

30% of adults suffer from high blood pressure

For one in ten hypertensive patients, specific causes can be found and eliminated

Over the years, a research team at Queen Mary University of London and St.

In collaboration with Professor Christina Zennaro, Research Director of Inserm, Paris Cardiovascular Research Center, and colleagues, the researchers discovered that the new mutation turns on a receptor molecule in adrenal cells that recognizes the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), the same result as measured in a regular pregnancy test-the receptor molecule triggers a surge in aldosterone secretion

Maurice Brown, Professor of Endocrine Hypertension at Queen Mary University of London, said: “It is particularly satisfying that the knowledge of the causes of hypertension in these women has enabled them to successfully conceive.

DOI 10.