Objective: To investigate the relation between the gene encoding the beta2-adrenergic receptor (B2AR) and essential hypertension in a Singaporean Chinese cohort.
Methods: Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in 190 cases and 323 controls, and eight haplotypes were determined and tested for association using the likelihood test statistic.
Results: We observed a significant difference in haplotype frequency distributions between the cases and the controls (P <0.00001). A logistic regression model fitted to the data supported this finding.
Conclusion: The results suggest that variants at the B2AR locus may play a role in the pathophysiology of hypertension in this population.