Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy

The Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy (GENOA) study, a part of the Family Blood Pressure Program (FBPP Investigators, 2002), consists of hypertensive sibships that were recruited for linkage and association studies in order to identify genes that influence blood pressure and its target organ damage (Daniels, 2004). In the initial phase of the GENOA study (Phase I: 1996-2001), all members of sibships containing ≥ 2 individuals with essential hypertension clinically diagnosed before age 60 were invited to participate, including both hypertensive and normotensive siblings. In the second phase of the GENOA study (Phase II: 2000-2004), 1,239 non-Hispanic white and 1,482 African American participants were successfully re-recruited to measure potential target organ damage due to hypertension.