The study investigated 71 hypertensive patients by forearm post-ischemic flow-mediated vasodilation, pulse wave analysis (applanation tonometry) and beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist stimulation for changes in reflection index, skin microvascular reactivity by laser Doppler fluxmetry with iontophoresis and heat-induced hyperaemia, and coronary microvascular function by subendocardial viability ratio (derived from pulse wave analysis). The gene discussed is ADRB2; the disease is hypertensive disorder.