Endocrine Abstracts

Aldosterone is a key cardiovascular hormone: 15% of hypertensives have altered aldosterone regulation, defined by a raised ratio of aldosterone to renin. However, the causes of aldosterone excess are not understood. Polymorphic variation in the gene encoding aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) is associated with hypertension, but the most robust phenotype is a relative reduction in efficiency of 11ß-hydroxylation (conversion of deoxycortisol to cortisol), which reflects functi...

The locus comprising the genes that catalyse the final steps of cortisol and aldosterone synthesis (CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 respectively) is a plausible candidate risk region for hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, there remains uncertainty as to the strength of the relationship between polymorphisms at this locus and increased blood pressure. In this study, association with hypertension at the CYP11B1/CYP11B2 locus in a Caucasian cas...