This is a rapidly expanding research area, with most current publications existing as journal articles, or as single chapters in larger volumes. This will be one of the first books to bring all this information together into a comprehensive review volume, aimed at both researchers and clinicians. Hypertension is a condition in humans which is characterized by persistently high arterial blood pressure (over 140/90 mm Hg). Affected individuals are at risk from heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. This important disease affects a huge number of people worldwide, and therefore the study of the disease is of vital clinical importance. Hypertension is a genetically determined disease, with many other contributing factors. Research has expanded rapidly in this area, particularly over the last decade, and there are continuing advances in our understanding of the disease.