The candidacy of angiotensinogen for a role in the genetic basis of hypertension is supported by the observation that plasma angiotensinogen levels track with raised blood pressure through families. In addition, transgenic mice with overexpression of a rat angiotensinogen gene develop hypertension, and knockout mice with a disrupted gene and absent angiotensinogen production develop low blood pressure. There are now two studies in populations of white European origin and one in African Caribbeans providing support for a role of the angiotensinogen gene locus in human essential hypertension.