The cause of high blood pressure was found in the brain

Hyperactive nerve cells in the hypothalamus - the regulator of neuroendocrine brain activity - may trigger the development of hypertension. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the University of Missouri and the University of Oxford. The results of the study were published in the journal Cardiovascular Research (CRes).

High blood pressure remains one of the main risk factors for stroke and heart attack. It is usually associated with lifestyle, kidney disease, or hormonal disorders. However, the role of the nervous system in the development of hypertension has not been sufficiently studied until now.

In an experiment on rats, scientists focused on neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus - a brain region that regulates the "fight or flight" stress response and the functioning of the sympathetic nervous system. These cells control the production of corticotropin - a hormone involved in the stress response and affecting the cardiovascular system.

In animals with primary hypertension, researchers discovered increased activity of these neurons and enhanced signal transmission to brainstem centers responsible for regulating heart rate and vascular tone. Simultaneously, hyperactivation of neuroendocrine cells linking the nervous and hormonal systems was observed.

When scientists experimentally suppressed the activity of these cells, blood pressure in rats decreased. Additionally, a receptor was identified through which communication between the hypothalamus and the sympathetic nervous system occurs. According to the authors of the study, a drug blocking this mechanism could potentially become a new method for treating primary hypertension.