You are in Medical Library . Read here to learn about the differences between and the causes of essential hypertension and secondary hypertension. Well-Connected Essential Hypertension Hypertension is referred to as essential, or primary, when the physician is unable to identify a specific cause.
Genetic factors appear to play a major role in essential hypertension.
Several genetic factors, however are probably involved that regulate important physiologic processes and interact with environmental influences to produce essential high blood pressure. Inherited Abnormalities in the Angiotensin-Renin System. Genes under intense study are those that regulate a group of hormones known collectively as the angiotensin-renin system, which include angiotensinogen, renin, and angiotensin converting enzyme. This system influences all aspects of blood pressure control, including blood vessel contraction, sodium and water balance, and cell development in the heart. New studies indicate that people carry one of three different variations of the salt gene, which influences their sensitivity to salt.