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Your Blood Pressure Could Be Dangerous Even When Your Numbers Look Normal
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What Happened?
New research indicates that fluctuations in blood pressure throughout the day may pose risks for heart disease and stroke, even if average readings are normal. A study from the University of Virginia highlights the role of specific nerve cells in maintaining stable blood pressure.
Key points
- Fluctuations in blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Researchers identified nerve cells in the brainstem that help stabilize blood pressure.
- Loss of a few hundred nerve cells can lead to unstable blood pressure despite normal average readings.
- The study suggests that these nerve cells may be damaged in conditions like multiple system atrophy.
- Understanding this mechanism could lead to better treatments for blood pressure regulation.
Key insights
- The findings may shift how healthcare professionals approach blood pressure management.
- Patients with normal average blood pressure may still be at risk due to fluctuations.
- Future treatments could focus on stabilizing blood pressure rather than just lowering it.
Why it matters
Understanding blood pressure fluctuations could lead to improved treatments for heart disease and stroke prevention.
Tags
Entities
University of Virginia· OrganizationCirculation Research· Event
Source
Science Daily
