High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects more than 116 million adults in the United States and is a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious health problems. In 2020 alone, it contributed to or caused over 670,000 deaths.
Despite being so common, many people still struggle to keep their blood pressure under control. But new research from the University of Virginia may help change that.
Scientists have discovered an important biological process that helps explain how the body controls blood pressure—and what goes wrong in people with hypertension. This new understanding could lead to better treatments with fewer side effects.
Blood pressure is partly controlled by how much calcium is present in the smooth muscle cells that make up the walls of blood vessels. These cells use calcium to tighten or relax the vessels, which affects how easily blood flows through them. If the vessels stay too tight, blood pressure goes up.
Many people with high blood pressure take medications called calcium channel blockers. These drugs reduce the flow of calcium into the smooth muscle cells, helping the blood vessels relax. But calcium is also important for other body functions, so these medications can cause side effects like dizziness, swelling, or fatigue.
The researchers at the University of Virginia found something new. They discovered two tiny areas inside smooth muscle cells, which they called “nanodomains.” These areas help manage the calcium signals that tell blood vessels when to contract or relax. Think of them as tiny control centers or conductors that help the blood vessels perform in harmony.
In healthy people, these nanodomains keep a good balance—allowing blood vessels to tighten or relax as needed. But in people with high blood pressure, the researchers found that this balance is broken.
The signals that tell blood vessels to tighten become too strong, and the signals to relax are too weak. As a result, the vessels stay more constricted than they should, raising blood pressure.
This discovery opens the door to new treatment options. Instead of using medications that block calcium throughout the body, future drugs could target these nanodomains specifically. That way, the treatment could help lower blood pressure without affecting calcium’s other important roles in the body, potentially reducing side effects.
While more research is needed to fully understand how these nanodomains work and how best to target them, this study is a promising step forward. It moves scientists closer to the goal of treating the root causes of high blood pressure, not just the symptoms.
For millions of people living with hypertension, this research offers new hope. If doctors can one day use treatments that more precisely control blood vessel function, it could mean better health, fewer side effects, and a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.
In the fight against one of the world’s most common and deadly conditions, this discovery could make a big difference.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
