U.S. researchers identified a specific gene variant that is directly linked to the development of hypertension.

The gene variant that raises blood pressure in people who carry it is called STK39 and was discovered after scanning the genetic code of hundreds of individuals across the United States and the European continent. It was finally found in found in members of the genetically homogeneous Old Order Amish community in Pennsylvania, but it is only carried by approximately 1 in five white Americans.

Yen-Pei Christy Chang led the research that was conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and looked at a total of 542 members of the Amish community.

The results revealed that volunteers with the STK39 gene variant showed slight increases in blood pressure, in contrast with those who had a more common form of the gene and, therefore, were more susceptible to develop hypertension.

Dr. Chang said that the breakthrough, explained in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could improve the ability to adjust treatments to the individual. “We hope that it will lead to new therapies to combat this serious public health problem worldwide," he continued.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure (HBP), is a major risk factor for cardiovascular issues such as heart attack and stroke. The medical condition occurs when a person’s blood pressure is chronically elevated. An estimated 73 million people in the United States aged 20 and older have hypertension. In 2004, HBP killed more than 54,700 Americans. About 30 percent of sufferers are unaware of their condition, according to the American Heart Association.