Cardiovascular diseases are currently the leading noncommunicable cause of morbidity and mortality in the country. According to the American Heart Association, the most common form of cardiovascular disease is coronary artery disease, a condition in which blood supply to the heart is reduced due to narrowing of the coronary arteries. These arteries play an important role in regulating oxygenated blood flow to the heart. As blood flows through the arteries, it exerts a force against the vessel walls, called blood pressure. To resist this pressure, elastic fibers scattered along the artery walls allow the arteries to dilate and recoil. However, abnormally high blood pressure will cause these muscles to thicken due to tears in the damaged artery walls, trapping particles which clump together as plaque. The progressive buildup of plaque ultimately leads to narrowing of the arteries, thereby decreasing blood flow to the heart and other organs of the body. This cascade of events triggered by high blood pressure illustrates why hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Affecting 1 in 3 adults in the United States alone, hypertension significantly increases the risk of heart disease in an affected person who most likely does not have any signs or symptoms. In addition to the risks associated with this “silent killer,” comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels can significantly worsen the health status of hypertensive patients. Given the high prevalence and serious consequences of hypertension if undetected, research on this particular topic will improve our understanding of the causes of hypertension by identifying and narrowing down the main candidates for pot... ... middle of article ......sion may lead to the advancement of a possible cure for hypertension through gene therapy. Conceptually, the gene therapy strategy has many advantages over conventional drug treatment, such as lasting modification of defective or variant genes and elimination of side effect concerns. Interestingly, the genetics of essential hypertension is an interesting question, because we often think of hypertension due to our lifestyle habits and environmental factors. However, the study of genetics can actually help predict disorders in at-risk individuals through the examination of particularly affected genetic loci that influence that disorder. Such an intervention would make the prevention and treatment of hypertension, a prevalent disorder with a significant impact on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality at present, more feasible and highly effective...