Scientists explained that this area is known as the "periafemal lateral region," a bundle of nerves located in the brainstem that controls involuntary functions such as breathing, digestion, and heart rate. This region is typically activated during laughter, exercise, or coughing, as it stimulates the forceful exhalation that accompanies these actions.
However, a research team from the University of Auckland in New Zealand found that activating this area not only controls breathing, but may also stimulate nerves that cause blood vessels to constrict, leading to high blood pressure and possibly chronic hypertension.
In laboratory experiments conducted on mice, the team activated and inhibited these nerves while monitoring blood pressure.
When this region was activated, scientists observed that the mice began to exhale forcefully, coinciding with the activation of the nervous system responsible for constricting blood vessels. This constriction led to a rise in blood pressure, the same effect that occurs in cases of extreme stress or fear, known as the "fight or flight" response.
However, when these nerves were deactivated, the opposite occurred; blood vessels relaxed, forceful exhalation ceased, blood pressure returned to normal levels, and breathing continued normally. This reinforced scientists' belief that this brain region plays a direct role in raising and regulating blood pressure.
Dr. Julian Paton, professor of physiology and lead author of the study, said: "We discovered a new area in the brain that plays a direct role in high blood pressure. In cases of chronic hypertension, this area is overactive, and when it is deactivated, blood pressure returns to normal levels."
The scientists pointed out that the study is still in its early stages, as it was conducted only on animals, emphasizing the need to develop methods to test this mechanism in humans. The proportion of hypertension cases that may be due to this neurological cause has not yet been determined.
Although lifestyle factors, such as excessive salt intake, stress, obesity, and lack of physical activity, are major causes of high blood pressure, increasing research suggests that the brain plays a pivotal role in regulating blood pressure, through nerve signals that control heart rate and blood vessel constriction.
The scientists explained that their findings could pave the way for the development of new treatments that target calming the nerves responsible for raising blood pressure within the brain, rather than focusing solely on the blood vessels.
The study was published in the journal Circulation Research.
