Researchers at Boston University’s School of Medicine found evidence suggesting that adrenaline production causes high blood pressure, according to a press release.
In an article published in the Journal of Hypertension, BUSM medical professors Irene and Haralambos Gavras concluded the salt-induced hypertension is due to an increase in adrenaline production and causes arteries to contract.
The research challenges that excess salt creates high blood pressure as a result of an increased blood volume, the press release said.
In the review, the researchers found that the retention of salt stimulates the nervous system, resulting in an increase in adrenaline production. When the arteries constrict, the resistance in blood flow causes high blood pressure.
“The purpose of this paper is to correct an erroneous concept that has prevailed for many years, even though scientific evidence has mounted against it,” I. Gavras, a physician in Boston Medical Center’s Hypertension practice, said in the press release.
The widespread notion of “volume-expanded hypertension” that I. Gavras referred to is caused by retention of extra fluid, which increases blood volume and puts pressure on arterial walls.
Their research proves any expansion of blood volume does not directly link to a rise in blood pressure because it is accommodated by the distention of capillaries and veins.
“The body’s circulatory system is a highly flexible vascular system with the capacity to open up new capillaries and distend veins in order to accommodate increased fluid volume,” I. Gavras said in the release.
Their research, supported by a series of grants from National Institutes of Health, could lead to better drug treatment for the hypertension, according to the press release.
Findings suggest renal failure, which is typically treated through diuretics to remove excess salt, could possibly be treated through focus on the sympathetic nervous system.
“The implication of our findings shows that the optimal treatment for hypertension for cases associated with renal failure should not only include diuretics,” she said in the release, “but also the use of drugs that block the central sympathetic nervous system.”
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