Abstract
Hypertension is a disease common in adults, with many risk factors and potentially
life-threatening outcomes. Blood pressure is controlled by receptors that inform the
brain about the amount of pressure inside the arteries, and the amount of oxygen and
carbon dioxide in the blood, respectively. Research has revealed that baroreflex sensitivity
(BRS) decreases with increasing age and that there is a high correlation between hypertension
and low BRS. However, various studies with differing results have indicated that high
blood pressure is what causes BRS to decline, and vice versa. Several studies have
shown very conflicting results on the correlation between chemoreflex and age; there
have been indications of chemoreflex having a positive, negative, and zero correlation
with age. In several experiments, the surgical removal of the chemoreceptors of hypertensive
rats was followed by a decrease in blood pressure. These animal experiments, and an
additional noninvasive human experiment in which the chemoreceptors were temporarily
“shut off,” are reasons why more attention should be given to chemoreceptors as a
route of alleviating hypertension.
Keywords
hypertension - baroreflex - chemoreflex - arterial stiffness - blood pressure - age
- elderly
