Brain, Not Heart, to Blame for Hypertension

A new research published in the journal Hypertension suggests that the true cause of high blood pressure might be the brain and not the heart. According to the study, problems related to the heart, kidneys or blood vessels have no role in causing hypertension.

High blood pressure or hypertension can lead to dizziness, headaches and problems with vision. Most people with hypertension are aware of their condition because the symptoms are not noticeable. However hypertension can lead to heart attack, stroke and kidney damage. The best way to treat the condition is to bring certain changes in lifestyle; but if this proves ineffective, medication can be used to control effects.

The medical fraternity has known for some time that the brain can affect blood pressure. To confirm this knowledge, a team of researchers at Bristol University led by Professor Julian Paton, conducted a study to understand the exact relation between blood pressure and the brain.

They managed to isolate a protein – Junctional Adhesion Molecule-1 or JAM-1 – in the brain which appeared to trap white blood cells. The trapped blood cells caused an obstruction in blood flow which in turn can lead to inflammation and poor oxygen supply to the brain.

According to the researchers, it is these events that can raise blood pressure. Conducted on laboratory rats, the study showed that JAM-1 is linked to higher blood pressure. However the researchers could not find the exact mechanism behind this. The research team is now studying the human brain to further understand this relationship.

Explaining their findings, Professor Paton said, “The future challenge will be to understand the type of inflammation within the vessels in the brain, so that we know what drug to use, and how to target them. JAM-1 could provide us with new clues as to how to deal with this disease.”

“We are looking at the possibility of treating those patients that fail to respond to conventional therapy for hypertension with drugs that reduce blood vessel inflammation and increase blood flow within the brain,” he added.

Professor Jeremy Pearson of the British Heart Foundation, which funded the work said, “This exciting study is important because it suggests there are unexpected causes of high blood pressure related to blood supply to the brain. It therefore opens up the possibility of new ways to treat this common, but often poorly managed, condition.”

Neurosurgery expert Dr. Alex Green of Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital feels this new study is “very exciting” and believes it suggests JAM-1 could be an ideal target for new therapies to treat blood pressure. Dr. Green led a team of researchers in a study that found it was possible to increase or decrease patients’ blood pressure by stimulating certain specific regions of the brain with electrodes.

Adding a word of caution, Professor Graham MacGregor, Chairman of the Blood Pressure Association said that the research was still in its early stages and much more extensive study was required before the findings can be considered as fully confirmed. In his opinion, current blood pressure medications are highly effective if they are taken correctly and in combination with a healthy lifestyle.

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