Brussels, 04/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - According to an announcement made by the European Commission on Wednesday, European researchers have discovered a new gene variant that could help treat people suffering from high blood pressure, a disease that affects one in four adults in Europe. The new gene variant lowers the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension), which is the main risk factor in cardiovascular disease and ultimately the main cause of death throughout the world. Individuals carrying this “UMOD” variant will have 50% fewer strokes, myocardial infarctions and coronary deaths.
This discovery was made by a team of researchers taking part in the InGenious HyperCare project, which is supported by the EU. It opens the way to new preventative resources and treatments for high blood pressure and is the result of one of the most extensive genetic studies ever carried out in this domain. It involved 40,000 people from eight European countries. The new variation is located in the gene, which regulates the production by the kidneys of uromodulin, a protein excreted in the urine.
This very recently published research casts a different light on the role of uromodulin in the regulation of arterial pressure. The research was led by the University of Glasgow and the Istituto Auxologico Italiano in Milan. The scientists who participated in it belonged to 31 research teams working in 11 member states: Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Sweden. The network also includes scientists from Switzerland, Russia and China. The EU contribution to the project stands at €10 million. The results of the study were published in the Public Library of Science Genetics journal and will be debated on 4 and 5 November during a conference on cardiovascular disease, organised in Brussels by the European Commission. (B.C./transl.fl)