High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, affecting millions of people worldwide. While previous studies have identified genetic associations with blood pressure, most have focused on non-African populations. A recent study, however, has analyzed the genetics of blood pressure in over a million individuals, including those of African ancestry, revealing over 2,000 independent genetic signals.
**Novel Genetic Signals Specific to African Population**
The study identified two novel genome-wide significant signals for blood pressure: one near the *P2RY1* gene and another near the *LINC01256* gene. These signals were found to be specific to the African population and were not detected in previous GWASs of non-African populations.