Sympathetic Activation in Hypertension: Importance of the Central Nervous System

Abstract The sympathetic nervous system plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The central nervous system (CNS) organizes the sympathetic outflow and various inputs from the periphery. The brain renin–angiotensin system has been studied in various regions involved in controlling sympathetic outflow. Recent progress in cardiovascular research, particularly in vascular biology and neuroscience, as well as in traditional physiological approaches, has advanced the field of the neural control of hypertension in which the CNS plays a vital role. Cardiovascular research relating to hypertension has focused on the roles of nitric oxide, oxidative stress, inflammation, and immunity, and the network among various organs, including the heart, kidney, spleen, gut, and vasculature. The CNS mechanisms are similarly networked with these factors and are widely studied in neuroscience. In this review, I describe the development of the conceptual flow of this network in the field of hypertension on the basis of several important original research articles and discuss potential future breakthroughs leading to clinical precision medicine.