Essential hypertension is a common human disease believed to reautt from the interplay of multiple genetic and environmental determinants. In genetic studies of two large panels of hypertensive aibahips from widely separated geographical areas, we obtained evidence of genetic linkage between the angiotensinogen gene (AGT) and hypertension, demon&rated association of AGT molecular variants with the disease, and found significant differences in plasma concentrations of angiotenainogen among hypertensive subjects with dtfferent AGTgenotypes. The corroboration and replication afforded by these results support the Interpretation that molecular variants of AGT constitute inherited predispositions to essential hypertension in humans.