Genetic risk for heart and kidney disease in people of African descent
Cardiorenal Genomics for Risk Prediction in African Descent Populations
This project uses genetic information from people of African ancestry to build tools that predict risk of high blood pressure, kidney disease, and heart problems and to guide which blood-pressure medicines might work best.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11171726 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are combining genetic and treatment-response data from many past studies that included people of African descent. They will search for genetic patterns that link to higher chance of hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and related heart conditions, and for differences in how people respond to common blood-pressure drugs. The team will create and test polygenic risk scores and pharmacogenomic markers aimed at improving risk prediction and medication choice. The goal is to make future care more personalized for African ancestry communities by using larger, more diverse genetic datasets than have been available before.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults of African ancestry who have or are at risk for high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, or related heart conditions, or those willing to share genetic and health data.
Not a fit: People without African ancestry or those not interested in genetic-based care are less likely to see direct benefits from this specific work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians predict who is at higher risk for cardiorenal disease and choose blood-pressure medicines that are more likely to work for people of African descent.
How similar studies have performed: Prior genetic and pharmacogenetic studies in African American populations have found some promising signals but were generally small, so this larger effort is relatively novel and aims to improve reliability.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Irvin, Marguerite R — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Irvin, Marguerite R
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.