Researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine have revealed the role of a group of adrenergic nerve cells, known as C1 cells, in the brainstem in maintaining blood pressure stability and limiting its fluctuations, even when average readings are within the normal range.
The lead researcher on the study, Stephen Abbott, explained that the loss of a few hundred of these nerve cells leads to blood pressure instability, despite average readings remaining normal, highlighting the importance of regulating pressure and maintaining its stability, alongside monitoring overall levels.
For his part, the scientific website Science Daily reported on Wednesday that the study, published in the scientific journal Circulation Research, revealed a neural mechanism that contributes to limiting blood pressure fluctuations with changes in daily body activities, such as sleeping, waking up, standing, and exercising.
The researchers pointed out that rapid or excessive fluctuations in blood pressure are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and brain damage, even when average readings appear normal. They also noted that dysfunction or loss of these cells was recorded in patients with multiple system atrophy, a rare neurological disorder that affects the body's ability to regulate blood pressure.
He added that understanding the discovered neural mechanism could pave the way for developing treatments aimed at limiting blood pressure fluctuations, rather than focusing solely on lowering average readings. The research was conducted with support from the US National Institutes of Health.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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