Researchers at Lund University have discovered how a molecular sensor in the walls of blood vessels helps protect against damage caused by high blood pressure.
This sensor, made up of proteins called YAP and TAZ, helps the blood vessels respond and adapt to pressure changes.
However, as we age, this sensor becomes weaker, which increases the risk of serious health issues like heart disease, stroke, and aneurysms.
High blood pressure is a major health problem around the world. In Sweden, about one in five people has it. When not properly managed, high blood pressure can damage blood vessels, especially as we grow older. The blood vessels become less flexible, which can lead to even higher blood pressure and more damage.
The research team studied mice to learn more about this sensor. They found that when YAP/TAZ is missing, the muscle cells in the vessel wall change into cells that create cartilage.
This makes the blood vessels stiff and inflamed, even when blood pressure is normal. Without YAP/TAZ, the blood vessels cannot handle stress and may develop life-threatening conditions like aneurysms—dangerous bulges in the blood vessel walls.
The scientists also studied human tissue and found that YAP levels are much lower in blood vessels from people with aneurysms. This shows that the sensor works similarly in people and likely plays a protective role.
As people age, their YAP/TAZ levels naturally decline. This might help explain why older adults are more at risk for vascular diseases like atherosclerosis and vascular dementia. The researchers believe that finding ways to maintain or boost YAP/TAZ activity could lead to new treatments for these conditions.
Interestingly, exercise might help activate this protective sensor. When we exercise, blood pressure rises temporarily, which could “train” the blood vessels and make them more resilient in the long run. Since blood vessels are made of muscle, they respond to exercise just like other muscles in the body.
This discovery opens new doors for developing medicines and lifestyle strategies to keep our blood vessels healthy as we age.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about This alcohol treatment could help treat high blood pressure and How blood pressure changes with age.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about Intensive blood pressure treatment for older adults may harm heart and kidneys and What you should know about high blood pressure medications.
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