ObjectiveTo evaluate the possible association of three candidate gene polymorphisms with essential hypertension in the genetically homogeneous Sardinian population.Subjects and methodsWe studied 494 unrelated, nondiabetic subjects, 213 (43.2%) with essential hypertension. All subjects underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test with determination of glycemia and insulinemia and serum lipids. The polymorphisms evaluated comprised Trp64Arg of the β3-adrenergic receptor, Gly40Ser of the glucagon receptor gene and the insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene.ResultsAmong the overall population studied, 48 (9.7%) were heterozygous carriers of the Trp64Arg polymorphism. The frequency of the Trp64Arg variant was significantly higher in hypertensives (13.6%) than normotensives (6.8%; x25.73,P= 0.017). The 48 subjects with the Trp64Arg variant had significantly higher (P< 0.049) serum triglyceride levels than the 446 with the Trp64Trp variant, while no significant differences were observed, either fasting or during the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, in glycemia and insulinemia. No differences were found between hypertensive and normotensive subjects forACEgene insertion/deletion polymorphism nor in the frequency of the Gly40Ser coding change in exon 2 of the glucagon receptor gene.ConclusionsOur results are consistent with the thesis that the Trp64Arg polymorphism of the β3-adrenergic receptor gene is associated more often with the condition of high blood pressure than with normal blood pressure.