Role of Vascular Receptors in the Development of Hypertension in the Elderly Population

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.