Some of us in the audience were left wondering if the prepared foods industry and the bottled drinks manufacturers might be in cahoots. Professor Caulfield set out his stall in a different way. OK, we do not know the 'cause' or even the 'causes' of hypertension. However, as clinicians, we recognise that some families are more prone to develop high blood pressure than others. So, let us study the genes of susceptible families.
Genes make proteins.
These hypothetical changes are probably working against us from early adult life. So, someday will we see gene therapy as a way of fending off the high blood pressure disaster of later life. Caulfield is on a great molecular hunting expedition and he has no idea what he will capture en route. Nevertheless this is an exciting expedition and we wish him well. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves.