In recent years, numerous observationsobtained from clinical and experimental models of diabetes, hypertension, cardiacfailure, ischemia, myocardial infarction, and left ventricular hypertrophy have suggestedthat the reduced activity of the local kallikrein-kinin system may be instrumental for theinduction of cardiovascular-related diseases. The gene discussed is KLK4; the disease is hypertensive disorder.