Which Hormone Controls Blood Pressure

What Hormones Are Involved In Blood Pressure Regulation

hormonalregulationblood pressurebloodbloodblood pressureblood

. Regarding this, what gland regulates blood pressure?

Adrenal Gland EssentialsThe adrenal cortexthe outer part of the glandproduces hormones that are vital to life, such as cortisol and aldosterone .

what is neural regulation of blood pressure? Neurological regulation of blood pressure and flow depends on the cardiovascular centers located in the medulla oblongata. This cluster of neurons responds to changes in blood pressure as well as blood concentrations of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other factors such as pH.

Also Know, can hormone levels affect blood pressure?

Changes in hormones during menopause can lead to weight gain and make your blood pressure more sensitive to salt in your diet which, in turn, can lead to higher blood pressure. Some types of hormone therapy for menopause also may lead to higher blood pressure.

What hormones affect BP?

Renin controls the production of two other hormones, angiotensin and aldosterone. And these hormones control the width of your arteries and how much water and salt is moved out of the body. Both of these affect blood pressure.

Raa Inhibitors And High Blood Pressure

Several effective high blood pressure treatments have been developed as a direct result of our understanding of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

• ACE inhibitors stop the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II.
• Angiotensin receptor blockers prevent angiotensin II from binding to blood vessels and causing vasoconstriction.
• Water pills, or diuretics, help to get rid of fluid by telling the body excrete water and sodium through urination.

While we have a better understanding of how to manage chronic high blood pressure, the fine details of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system are still being discovered.

Other Causes Of Endocrine Hypertension And Related Syndromes:

• Pseudohypoaldosteronism type 2 patients develop hypertension and have high potassium levels
• Liddles syndrome a rare genetic form of hypertension in which patients have very low levels of aldosterone
• Apparent mineralocorticoid excess a rare genetic form of hypertension
• Licorice ingestion high blood pressure and low potassium triggered by eating licorice .
• Bartters syndrome detected in infancy or childhood with symptoms of severe low potassium and other birth defects. No associated hypertension.
• Gitelmans syndrome milder form of hypokalemia occurring in young adults, often with low magnesium levels as well. No associated hypertension.

Read Also: Is Claritin Safe For High Blood Pressure

The Raa System And Covid

The Coronavirus disease 2019 , or SARS-CoV-2, led to a global outbreak that affected nearly 200 million people worldwide as of July 2021. The disease is associated with severe complications in people who have pre-existing cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes.

The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the COVID-19 infectious disease process.

The SARS-CoV-2 uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 as a “receptor” and cellular entry point to infect a wide range of cells in the body. More specifically, ACE 2, which is embedded in the surfaces of cells, is recognized by spike proteins on the COVID-19 virus. This recognition leads to a lock-and-key relationship that opens the door for the virus to enter.

Effects Of Progestins On Blood Pressure

Data from both human and animal studies indicate that progesterone, the natural progestin, has either neutral or depressor effects on blood pressure. For example, decreases in blood pressure with the progression of pregnancy are positively correlated with increases in progesterone . Moreover, oral administration of natural progesterone significantly lowered blood pressure in six men and four postmenopausal women with mild to moderate hypertension who were not receiving antihypertensive drugs . In contrast, administration of natural progesterone to seven postclimacteric women failed to influence blood pressure . In animal studies, acute administration of progesterone did not alter mean arterial blood pressure in rats .

Most studies conducted with synthetic progestins for contraception or hormone replacement therapy have shown a blood pressure elevating effect . Contraceptive progestins have androgenic activity, whereas natural progesterone are non-androgenic. The blood pressure elevating effects of contraceptive progestins may therefore depend on the androgenicity of the individual progestin .

Recommended Reading: Stopping High Blood Pressure

What Functions Does The Raa System Help Maintain

The classical RAA pathway leads to blood vessel constriction and blood pressure elevation. It can also eventually lead to systemic inflammation and organ damage. The alternative RAA pathway, on the other hand, leads to blood vessel relaxation and blood pressure reduction. It has anti-inflammatory effects and can lead to organ protection. The two pathways counteract but balance one another. An imbalance may have an effect on the COVID-19 infectious disease process.

How Does The Mechanism Which Controls Blood Pressure In The Brain Work

I know that pressure is sensed in the skin by mechanoreception mediated by skin receptors. Static pressure stimuli are mainly sensed by slow-adapting fibers connected to receptors like the Merkel discs. Vibratory stimuli are sensed by rapidly adapting receptors like the Pacinian corpuscle.

Blood pressure is also sensed by the body and the brain regulates blood pressure by influencing the peripheral nervous system that can increase or decrease the blood output of the heart.

How are blood pressure differences in the brain sensed and how do these receptors mediate cardiac activity? Are blood pressure differences in the brain sensed by rapidly adapting receptors akin to Pacinian corpuscles?

Blood pressure is sensed in blood vessels by baroreceptors. Baroreceptors are stretch-sensitive nerve fibers located primarily in the aortic arch and carotid sinuses. The baroreceptors send afferent fibers via the glossopharyngeal nerve to the nucleus tractus solitarii in the dorsal medulla in the brainstem. From there, efferent cardiovascular neurons send projections to the medulla and spinal cord. There are also stretch-sensitive receptors in the heart and pulmonary vessels, called cardiopulmonary receptors that use the same nerural connections as the baroreceptors.

Fig. 1. Control of blood pressure. Source: Human Physiology .

Reference

Edit: Forgot to add that ADH is also known as Vasopressin, and is also responsible for constricting the blood vessels.

Also Check: Does Your Blood Pressure Go Up When You Have A Heart Attack

Effects Of Estradiol On Vascular Tone

Functional estrogen receptors of the and subtypes are expressed in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells , and it is well established that estradiol can cause vasodilation by both ER-dependent and ER-independent mechanisms. Acute administration of estradiol in vitro and in vivo induces rapid dilation of coronary arteries of cholesterol-fed ovariectomized animals . Exogenous estradiol also dilates coronary and brachial arteries in postmenopausal women and men . Long-term treatment with estradiol abrogates the vasoconstrictor effects of U46619 , phenylepinephrine, 5-HT, calcium, potassium and acetylcholine on vascular tissues such as aortic rings and coronary arteries . Compared with premenopausal women, vasodilator effects of estradiol are decreased in postmenopausal women and are normalized by estrogen replacement therapy . The vasodilator effect of estradiol replacement therapy is diminished by co-administration of synthetic progestins such as medroxyprogesterone and cyproterone acetate .

In summary, estradiol is a vasodilator that decreases vascular resistance by multiple mechanisms. Increased production of NO plays a prominent role, and increased synthesis of other endogenous vasodilators, decreased synthesis of endogenous vasoconstrictors and activation of K+ channels also contribute to the vasodilatory actions of estradiol.

Effects Of Estradiol On The Heart

Hypertension is importantly associated with a remodeling process that leads to cardiac hypertrophy and abnormal growth and function of cardiac fibroblasts and myocytes. Cardiac fibroblasts contribute to pathological changes in the hypertensive heart by proliferating, depositing extracellular proteins and replacing myocytes with fibrotic scar tissue. Estradiol and progesterone inhibit mitogen-induced proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts and extracellular matrix synthesis by cardiac fibroblasts , suggesting that these sex hormones may attenuate the structural changes in the heart that are usually associated with hypertension. The direct effects of estradiol on the heart may be amplified by estradiol-induced changes in circulating and local factors such as Ang II, endothelin, NO, prostacyclin, adenosine and bradykinin.

Female sex hormones have other protective effects on cardiac myocytes. For instance, apoptosis causes loss of cardiac myocytes in heart failure , and estradiol prevents programmed cell death in cardiac myocytes . In addition, estradiol and progesterone, but not testosterone, upregulate the expression of heat shock factor-1, and overexpression of this factor attenuates cardiac damage . Other protective mechanisms induced by estradiol in cardiac myocytes include induction of NO synthesis , reduction in L-type calcium channel current and density and inhibition of K+ currents .

Don’t Miss: Does Claritin D Raise Blood Pressure

Effects Of Estradiol On Circulating Factors

Estradiol modulates the synthesis of circulating factors known to influence vascular tone and structure. For example, estradiol increases bradykinin levels and may lower blood pressure by increasing bradykinin synthesis . Estradiol down-regulates the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme in serum as well as in the vasculature and decreases renin release and Ang II formation . These effects are in some respects paradoxical since estradiol stimulates angiotensinogen expression in the liver . Ang II is a potent mitogen for vascular smooth muscle cells and induces vascular remodeling processes associated with hypertension. Therefore, the inhibitory effects of estradiol on the reninangiotensin system may lead to reduced vascular growth. Estradiol also down-regulates the expression of Ang II type 1 receptors in smooth muscle cells . Since these receptors mediate the mitogenic effects of Ang II, estradiol may abrogate the effects of Ang II in part via this mechanism. Our own studies show that estradiol inhibits Ang II-induced growth of human smooth muscle cells in vitro , thus supporting this concept. Additionally, estradiol induces the synthesis of Ang 17, a vasodilator and smooth muscle cell growth inhibitor .

Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

In most people, high blood pressure causes no symptoms, despite the coincidental occurrence of certain symptoms that are widely, but erroneously, attributed to high blood pressure: headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, a flushed face, and fatigue. People with high blood pressure may have these symptoms, but the symptoms occur just as frequently in people with normal blood pressure.

Severe or long-standing high blood pressure that is untreated can cause symptoms because it can damage the brain, eyes, heart, and kidneys. Symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, and restlessness. Occasionally, severe high blood pressure causes the brain to swell, resulting in nausea, vomiting, worsening headache, drowsiness, confusion, seizures, sleepiness, and even coma. This condition is called hypertensive encephalopathy.

Severe high blood pressure increases the workload of the heart and may cause chest pain and/or shortness of breath. Sometimes very high blood pressure causes the large artery that carries blood from the heart to tear, causing chest or abdominal pain. People who have such symptoms have hypertensive emergencies and, as such, require emergency treatment.

You May Like: Side Effects Of Blood Pressure

How Is It Treated

Secondary high blood pressure is typically treated by treating the cause of the high blood pressure. Your treatment depends on what is causing your high blood pressure and whether the high blood pressure should be lowered as soon as possible to prevent problems.

If a health problem is the cause, this high blood pressure may return to normal when the other health problem is treated. But treating the condition that has caused your secondary high blood pressure will not always lower blood pressure back to a normal level. In this case, you may need to treat the high blood pressure too.

If a medicine is the cause, this high blood pressure may return to normal if the medicine is stopped or the dose is adjusted.

Spotlight On Aging: High Blood Pressure

Changes due to aging may contribute to high blood pressure with no known cause . As people age, large arteries gradually stiffen and small arteries may become partially blocked. Some experts think that this stiffening combined with the narrowing of small arteries may partly explain why blood pressure increases as people age.

When blood pressure is checked, two values are recorded. The higher value reflects the highest pressure in the arteries, which is reached when the heart contracts . The lower value reflects the lowest pressure in the arteries, which is reached just before the heart begins to contract again . Blood pressure is written as systolic pressure/diastolic pressurefor example, 120/80 mm Hg . This reading is referred to as “120 over 80.”

Recommended Reading: Mayo Blood Pressure

Effects Of Estradiol On The Sympathetic Nervous System

In 12 perimenopausal women randomized to receive estradiol valerate or placebo , Sudhir et al. demonstrated that estrogen supplementation decreases norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction and total body norepinephrine spillover. Vogpatanasin et al. recently conducted a randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled study in 12 normotensive postmenopausal women who were treated for 8 weeks with either transdermal estradiol, oral conjugated estrogens or placebo. Measured parameters included 24-h ambulatory blood pressure and sympathetic nerve discharge. Transdermal estradiol, but not conjugated estrogens, decreased sympathetic nerve discharge and blood pressure. Hunt et al. examined the effects of conjugated estrogens administered for 6 months to 11 healthy, postmenopausal women on baroreflex function. In this study, conjugated estrogens did not affect blood pressure or cardiac-vagal baroreflex gain, but significantly increased sympathetic baroreflex gain. The effects of estrogen on sympathetic baroreflex reflexes are also supported by two other studies in postmenopausal women . Moreover, in menopausal women, acute administration of estradiol and progesterone attenuated mental stress-induced cardiovascular responses and increases in plasma catecholamines , and muscle sympathetic nerve activity measured by microneurography is reduced in women compared with age-matched men .

Relation Of High Blood Pressure And Kidneys

Our kidneys and circulatory system depend on each other for a healthy body. Our kidneys help filter wastes, toxins, and extra fluids from our blood, and they use a bunch of blood vessels to do so.

When our blood vessels are damaged, the nephrons, which filters our blood, didnt receive any oxygen and nutrients they needed to function well. This damage is the main reason behind High Blood Pressure , which is the second leading cause of Kidney Failure.

Over time, uncontrolled High Blood Pressure can cause arteries around the kidneys to narrow down, weakened, or harden it. These damaged arteries will not able to deliver enough blood to the kidney tissues.

Also Check: Does Claritin Lower Blood Pressure

The Body’s Control Of Blood Pressure

The body has many mechanisms to control blood pressure. The body can change the

• Amount of blood the heart pumps

• Diameter of arteries

• Volume of blood in the bloodstream

To increase blood pressure, the heart can pump more blood by pumping more forcefully or more rapidly. Small arteries can narrow , forcing the blood from each heartbeat through a narrower space than normal. Because the space in the arteries is narrower, the same amount of blood passing through them increases the blood pressure. Veins can constrict to reduce their capacity to hold blood, forcing more blood into the arteries. As a result, blood pressure increases. Fluid can be added to the bloodstream to increase blood volume and thus increase blood pressure.

To decrease blood pressure, the heart can pump less forcefully or rapidly, arterioles and veins can widen , and fluid can be removed from the bloodstream.

These mechanisms are controlled by the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system Autonomic nervous system The peripheral nervous system consists of more than 100 billion nerve cells that run throughout the body like strings, making connections with the brain, other parts of the body, and… read more and by the kidneys. The sympathetic division uses several means to temporarily increase blood pressure during the fight-or-flight response .

Angiotensin II helps increase blood pressure by

Effects Of Estradiol On Vascular Growth

The elevated total peripheral resistance characteristic of hypertension is due in part to accelerated growth of vascular smooth muscle cells . Vascular remodeling in hypertension involves interactions among multiple cell types, such as endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, adventitial fibroblasts, monocytes, macrophages and leukocytes, and among multiple growth inducers, including local growth factors, circulating growth factors and mechanical forces . The processes that lead to increased vascular resistance involve endothelial cell damage/dysfunction, increased generation of chemotactic and mitogenic factors at injury sites, migration of smooth muscle cells into the intima, proliferation of the migrated cells, hypertrophy of smooth muscle cells and deposition of extracellular matrix proteins . In addition to smooth muscle cells, migration of adventitial fibroblasts into the neointima and fibroblast proliferation also play a major role in the vascular remodeling process . The sequence of events in vascular remodeling may vary depending on the type of vascular challenge , but the abnormal growth of smooth muscle cells is the final process that leads to increased vascular resistance. In vivo studies conducted in several species using various models provide convincing evidence that estradiol prevents the vascular remodeling processes .

Don’t Miss: High Blood Pressure Side Effect

Treatment Of High Blood Pressure

• Diet and exercise

• Drugs to lower blood pressure

Primary hypertension cannot be cured, but it can be controlled to prevent complications. Everyone with elevated blood pressure or any stage of hypertension should change their lifestyle. The decision to prescribe drugs is based on the actual blood pressure level and whether people have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or have a more than 10% risk of developing it in the next 10 years.

Doctors often recommend that people with high blood pressure monitor their own blood pressure at home. Self-monitoring probably helps motivate people to follow a doctor’s recommendations regarding treatment.

Prognosis Of High Blood Pressure

Untreated high blood pressure increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease , kidney failure, or stroke at an early age. High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for stroke. It is also one of the three most important risk factors for heart attack that a person can modify .

Treatment that lowers high blood pressure greatly decreases the risk of stroke and heart failure. Such treatment may also decrease the risk of a heart attack, although not as dramatically.

Read Also: How To Relieve Hypertension Headache