Kaur J, Prejbisz A, Januszewicz A, et al. - Findings demonstrate significant links between blood potassium, urinary creatinine, urinary sodium, urine potassium and Unc51-like-kinase 4 (ULK4) gene. Females with hypertension exhibited significant associations for urinary creatinine and blood potassium, which may represent a genetic predisposition towards the risk of developing renal or muscle diseases later in their life.

• According to genome-wide association studies, there exists an association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ULK4 gene and blood pressure.

• The link between ULK4 gene and hypertension was assessed in 558 genotyped Caucasian individuals (n=293 cases and n=265 controls).

• Overall 58 SNPs were tested, and strategic categorization of data showed a strong quantitative link between (i) rs3897976 and blood potassium in female (cases) and pooled data (case and controls), (ii) rs4016425 and Urinary creatinine in Caucasian females.

• In normotensives and normotensive females, a strong protective impact against urinary sodium and urinary potassium appeared to prevent and reduce the risk of occurrence of cardiovascular and kidney diseases.