Increased Activation of Sympathetic Nervous System and Endothelin by Mental Stress in Normotensive Offspring of Hypertensive Parents

Abstract

The activity of the sympathetic nervous system and plasma norepinephrine and endothelin levels are increased during mental stress only in offspring of hypertensive parents, whereas the response to hypoxia was similar in offspring of hypertensive and normotensive parents, suggesting a genetically determined abnormal regulation of the sympathetic nervous system to certain stressful stimuli in offspring of hypertensive parents. This may play a role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension.