Development of the Hypertensive Phenotype Basic and Clinical Studies

Hardbound. The present volume of the Handbook of Hypertension draws together knowledge on the endogenous (genetic) and exogenous (environmental) components contributing to the pathogenesis of essential hypertension. In the field of hypertension research, the importance of adopting a genetic approach to its phenomenology was recognized at an early stage. There was early debate concerning the nature of the genetic architecture underlying population variability in blood-pressure but today its polygenic nature is generally accepted and is reflected in the design and orientation of human investigations as well as in the heterogeneity of mechanisms that have been unearthed by exploration with diverse animal genetic models. Concurrently, epidemiological studies have emphasized the contribution of a variety of environmental factors in the etiology of hypertension. In particular, the contribution of dietary factors, smoking and lifestyle to the develop