Advances and Prospects in Etiological Research of Hypertension Based on Mendelian Randomization

Corresponding author: Guangming Zhang, zhangguangming76@sina.com

DOI: 10.12201/bmr.202603.00029

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  Abstract: Hypertension is a complex multifactorial disease whose etiological research has long been hampered by confounding biases and reverse causality in observational studies. Mendelian randomization (MR), which utilizes genetic variants as instrumental variables, offers a powerful methodological approach for inferring causal relationships between exposure factors and hypertension. This systematic review summarizes the progress of MR applications in hypertension research, covering multiple domains including the gut microbiome, diet and nutrition, lifestyle, psychosocial factors, comorbid conditions, circulating biomarkers, and potential therapeutic targets. In recent years, accumulating MR evidence has not only validated traditional risk factors but also uncovered novel causal associations between hypertension and specific gut bacterial genera, novel metabolites, plasma proteins, and socio-cognitive factors. This paper synthesizes these findings and discusses current challenges in MR research regarding population heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and clinical translation. Finally, it outlines future research directions and prospects for applying multi-omics integration and precision prevention strategies.

  Key words: Mendelian Randomization; Hypertension; Causal Inference; Etiology; Drug Target; Multi-Omics

  Submit time: 10 March 2026

  Copyright: The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted biomedRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.
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  1	2026-01-16	10.12201/bmr.202603.00029V1	Download

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