Affiliations 

  • 1 Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin
  • 2 Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
MyJurnal

Abstract

The prevalence and incidence rate of hypertension among Orang Asli had been increasing due to
modernization and assimilation of outside practices such as intake of high cholesterol food, alcohol, and
smoking. Orang Asli utilize their herbs or plants to treat some illness due to the factor of logistics and the
knowledge on these nature resources since decades ago that is carried out from their ancestors. In this review
paper, hypertension genes of Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and the utilization of ethno-medicinal plants
in reducing the clinical manifestation in hypertension were deliberated. There are quite a number of related
hypertensive genes particularly in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) playing a pivotal role in
pathogenesis of hypertension. A genome-wide association studies showed potential candidate genes in
hypertension among Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. However there is yet molecular study on these genes
among Orang Asli with their unique genetic profile. Noteworthy information on mechanism of ethnomedicine in treating hypertension are scarce, even the efficacy of modern medicine in treating hypertension
on Orang Asli are rare. Therefore, study on efficacy of ethno-medicine plant by Orang Asli and the
regulation effect on hypertension genes are needed to be further explored and elucidated.