Difference between revisions of "Can environmental factors modify the effect of genes influencing blood pressure?"
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'''Mathematical tools''': Statistics. The students will learn how to use Matlab to read in large data sets including genetic data; conduct linear and logistic regression and interaction analysis. | '''Mathematical tools''': Statistics. The students will learn how to use Matlab to read in large data sets including genetic data; conduct linear and logistic regression and interaction analysis. | ||
| − | '''Biological or Medical aspects''': | + | '''Biological or Medical aspects''': Hypertension is a cardiovascular disease in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. A high blood pressure can be a risk factor for stroke and heart attack. |
| + | Blood pressure is defined by two measurements, the systolic and the diastolic. We talk about hypertension when the systolic blood pressure is above 140mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure is above 90mmHg. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The main organ responsible for the control of the blood pressure is the kidney so the most causal genes should be expressed in this organ or involved in the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. | ||
'''Supervisors''': [[User:Diana|Diana Marek]] , [[User:Tanguy|Tanguy Corre]], Murielle Bochud & [[User:Zoltan|Zoltán Kutalik]] | '''Supervisors''': [[User:Diana|Diana Marek]] , [[User:Tanguy|Tanguy Corre]], Murielle Bochud & [[User:Zoltan|Zoltán Kutalik]] | ||
Revision as of 19:42, 23 May 2012
Background: Large studies (including hundreds of thousands of individuals) identified genetic factors influencing blood pressure. However, it is unknown whether the effect of the discovered genetic variants are modified by life-style factors.
Goal: The goal of this project is to use the Cohorte Lausannois (CoLaus) data to find environmental factors (e.g. alcohol consumption, physical activity, smoking, etc.) that modify genetic effects influencing blood pressure.
Mathematical tools: Statistics. The students will learn how to use Matlab to read in large data sets including genetic data; conduct linear and logistic regression and interaction analysis.
Biological or Medical aspects: Hypertension is a cardiovascular disease in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. A high blood pressure can be a risk factor for stroke and heart attack. Blood pressure is defined by two measurements, the systolic and the diastolic. We talk about hypertension when the systolic blood pressure is above 140mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure is above 90mmHg.
The main organ responsible for the control of the blood pressure is the kidney so the most causal genes should be expressed in this organ or involved in the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system.
Supervisors: Diana Marek , Tanguy Corre, Murielle Bochud & Zoltán Kutalik
Students: Sophie Debonneville, Daniel Schmocker
Presentations: Media:CYP1A1-A2_BP.ppt Media:Genotypic_data_course_March2012.ppt Media:How_to_solve_biological_problems_with_math_23032012_.pptx
References: <biblio>
- ehret2011 Ehret et al. Genetic variants in novel pathways influence blood
pressure and cardiovascular disease risk. Nature. 2011 Oct 6; 478: 103–109.
- colaus Firmann M, Mayor V, Vidal PM, Bochud M, Pécoud A, Hayoz D, Paccaud F, Preisig M, Song KS, Yuan X, Danoff TM, Stirnadel HA, Waterworth D, Mooser V, Waeber G, Vollenweider P.The CoLaus study: a population-based study to investigate the epidemiology and genetic determinants of cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2008 Mar 17;8:6.
</biblio> see Genome Wide Association Studies, Media: McCarthy_review_GWAS.pdf , GWAS papers
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