Metabolomics profiling in hypertension and blood pressure regulation: a review

Hypertension is a chronic health condition in which blood pressure is usually elevated beyond normal levels. It can progress with serious complications if left undetected and untreated. Incidence of hypertension is on the increase worldwide with debilitating consequences on the health systems of many countries. It is a multifactorial disorder that requires a multi-pronged approach to address it. One such approach is the use of metabolomics or metabolite profiling to understand its underlying cause and possibly control it. Changes in metabolites profiles have been used to accurately predict so many disease conditions in addition to identifying possible biomarkers and pathways associated in their pathogenicity. This will enable their early detection, diagnosis and treatment as well as likely complications that may arise and also assist in development of biomarkers for clinical uses. The objective of this review therefore is to present some of the current knowledge on the application of metabolomics profiling in hypertension and blood pressure control.