To investigate the association between polymorphisms in the G protein-coupled receptor kinase 4 gene (GRK4) (R65L, A142V and A486V) and essential hypertension in northern Han Chinese, we conducted a case-control study consisting of 503 individuals with essential hypertension (HT) and 490 age-, gender-, and area-matched normotensive (NT) controls.
Constitutively activated GRK4 gene variants (R65L, A142V, and A486V), by themselves or by their interaction with other genes involved in blood pressure regulation, are associated with essential hypertension and/or salt-sensitive hypertension in several ethnic groups.