Latest study suggests that stiffening of arteries alone is enough to cause high blood pressure or hypertension in most people.
Hypertension is very much associated with increasing age, and reports suggest that it affects over one billion people globally. Unfortunately, doctors across the world are unable to entirely explain the cause of high blood pressure for around 90 percent of all cases.
A new study conducted by Klas Pettersen of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, used a computer model of a "virtual human" and found that stiffening of arteries may cause hypertension in many people.
Patterson, who is also the first author of the study, says that the results of the study suggest that stiffening of arteries can be a "major therapeutic target" when compared to existing models. The author also notes that high blood pressure is one of the major factors that contribute to morbidity and mortality. Moreover, high blood pressure puts individuals at a higher risk of stroke, heart failure, and renal diseases.
The researchers explain that once blood pressure moves down the aorta via the heart, cells along the aortic wall called baroreceptors are able to sense the pressure in that area of the aortic wall and then sends signals with this information to the person's nervous system.
In the case of high blood pressure, the cells sends even stronger signal and the body is then attempts to bring down blood pressure. When the aorta stiffens, which comes with age, it does not remain as sensitive to measure blood pressure. Even if a person's blood pressure increases the baroreceptors are unable to signal properly as normal and the body doesn't decreasethe blood pressure.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology's Stig Omholt who is the senior investigator of the study, says that if the hypothesis of the research is correct then stiffness of arteries and baroreceptor signaling will be the major targets to treat high blood pressure. The latest research can also lead scientists to develop new medical devices and new medicines to treat high blood pressure.
Omholt suggests that the current study should be taken as an example on how a complicated human ailment such as high blood pressure can be explored by using mathematical models.
"If we are to succeed in developing predictive, preventive and participatory medicine envisioned by so many, there is no substitute for building much stronger transdisciplinary ties between the life sciences, the mathematical sciences and engineering across the whole spectrum of basic, translational and applied research. And mathematical models of the human physiology will be at the core of this development," says Omholt.
The study is published in PLOS Computational Biology.
