[Genetic analysis of the structure of connections between certain physiologic traits. I. Analysis of arterial pressure indices]

Genetic analysis of the structure of phenotypical correlatin between systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) was carried out on a twin sample (72MT, 122 - of the same sex and 79 - of different sexes DT at the age of 18-40) taken from the Twin Register of the Institute of Medical Genetics, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. Because of heterogeneity of general dispersions of ABP characteristics in different twin subgroups, the method is suggested of a correction of coefficient values of interclass correlation which for the systolic ABP was rMT=0.558, rDT=0.252, and for the foastolic ABP was rMT=0.454, rDT=0.271. Estimations of heritability were 0.612 for systolic and 0.365 for diastolic ABP. There was observed a significant genetic correlation in ABP characteristics which made ra=0.76; the correlation conditioned by general environmental factors being re=0.69. Thus, 76% of genetic and 69 environmental factors, determining the levels of systolic and diastolic ABP were general. The significance was discussed of the obtained results in the light of physiological pharmacological and clinical data.