Genome-Wide Association Study of Hypertension in Hausa-Fulani Population: Identifying Novel Susceptibility Loci in Kano State

Essential hypertension has a complex polygenic architecture, and population-specific susceptibility loci remain understudied in the Hausa-Fulani ethnic group of Northern Nigeria. Prior candidate gene studies have produced limited transferable findings across African ancestry populations, underscoring the need for hypothesis-free genome-wide approaches. This study conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of essential hypertension in a Hausa-Fulani cohort in Kano State, North West Nigeria. Seven hundred and fifty hypertensive cases and 750 normotensive controls of Hausa-Fulani ancestry were recruited from primary and tertiary health facilities across three local government areas. Participants were genotyped on the H3Africa SNP array, which includes ancestry-informative markers optimised for African populations. Extensive quality control procedures were applied prior to association testing using a linear mixed model to control for population stratification. Replication of five previously reported loci and discovery of novel associations were the dual objectives. Three genome-wide significant signals were identified, including one novel locus in the ALDH2-adjacent region not previously reported in African GWAS of hypertension. Gene-environment interaction analyses with dietary salt intake were also conducted. These findings advance the genetic epidemiology of hypertension in Northern Nigerian populations and contribute to the H3Africa Consortium database. Keywords: GWAS, hypertension, Hausa-Fulani, H3Africa SNP array, susceptibility loci