A multi-ethnic polygenic risk score for chronic kidney disease is associated with increased risk of hypertension in African American individuals

September 26, 2025

Kakar, A., Litkowski, E. M., Scadden, A. W., Anwar, M. Y., Konigsberg, I. R., Stanislawski, M. A., DuPre, N. C., Mitra, R., Baumgartner, R., Raffield, L. M., Lange, E. M., Lange, L. A., & Taylor, K. C. (2025). A multi-ethnic polygenic risk score for chronic kidney disease is associated with increased risk of hypertension in African American individuals. BMC Nephrology, 26, 524. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04425-4

Definitions

  • Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): A long-term illness where the kidneys slowly lose their ability to clean the blood.
  • Hypertension (HT): High blood pressure.
  • Polygenic Risk Score (PRS): A number based on many genes that shows a person’s chance of getting a disease.
  • Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP): The top number in a blood pressure reading (pressure when the heart beats).
  • Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP): The bottom number (pressure when the heart rests).
  • Genes: Instructions in the body that help decide traits like health risks.
  • African American (AA): A group of people in the study who identify as African American.
  • eGFR: A lab test that shows how well the kidneys are working.

Key Findings

  • People with a high genetic risk for CKD were more likely to have CKD.
  • People with a high genetic risk for CKD were also slightly more likely to have high blood pressure.
  • Genetic risk for high blood pressure did not increase the risk of CKD.
  • This suggests kidney disease risk may come before high blood pressure, not the other way around.
  • The CKD genetic score worked well for African American participants.

Introduction

This study looks at how genes affect kidney disease and high blood pressure in African American adults. These two health problems often happen together, but scientists are not sure which one starts first. The researchers wanted to see if genetic risk for kidney disease or genetic risk for high blood pressure was more important.

Main Content

Study Group

The study used data from about 3,000 African American adults in the Jackson Heart Study. Researchers looked at kidney health, blood pressure, and genetic data.

Genetic Risk Scores

Scientists made three genetic scores:

  • One for kidney disease (CKD-PRS)
  • One for systolic blood pressure (SBP-PRS)
  • One for diastolic blood pressure (DBP-PRS)

Results for Kidney Disease

People with higher CKD genetic scores were much more likely to have kidney disease. Those in the highest risk group had about four times the risk compared to the lowest group.

Results for Blood Pressure

People with high blood pressure genetic scores had higher blood pressure and more hypertension. Blood pressure genetic scores did not raise the chance of kidney disease.

Link Between Kidney Genes and Blood Pressure

The CKD genetic score slightly increased the chance of having high blood pressure. This means kidney-related genes may help cause high blood pressure.

Conclusion

This study shows that genetic risk for kidney disease may lead to high blood pressure in African American adults. However, genetic risk for high blood pressure does not seem to cause kidney disease. These results suggest doctors could use genetic tests to find people at high risk for kidney disease earlier. This may help prevent serious health problems by starting care sooner.