HypertensionResearch article
Sex-specific genetic architecture of blood pressure
- Genome-wide association study
- sex-stratified and combined-sex
Authors' conclusion
These findings suggest potentially clinically significant and BP sex-specific pleiotropic effects on cardiovascular diseases.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants
- Comparison
- Female vs male genetic associations with blood pressure (BP) traits
- Outcome
- BP trait-associated loci (sex-specific and combined-sex)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
BP trait-associated loci
Previously reported BP loci identified
1,346
New BP loci identified
29
Female-specific loci (Pfemale ≤ 5 × 10-8; Pmale > 5 × 10-8)
412
Male-specific loci (Pmale ≤ 5 × 10-8; Pfemale > 5 × 10-8)
142
Further findings
Gene-by-sex interactions and sexually dimorphic effects
- Genomic regions with female-specific associations with DBP or pulse pressure, incl. chromosome 13q34-COL4A1/COL4A2
- 4
Female-specific pulse pressure loci
- Enriched H3K27 acetylation in arterial tissues and female-specific association with fibromuscular dysplasia; colocalization at Chr13q34 COL4A1/COL4A2, Chr9p21 CDKN2B-AS1, Chr4q32.1 MAP9
Sex-specific and sex-biased polygenic associations of BP traits
- Associated with multiple CV traits
Original publication
Sex-specific genetic architecture of blood pressure. Nat Med. Published 8 March 2024. doi:10.1038/s41591-024-02858-2
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it