Increased nerve activity may raise blood pressure in anxiety

(American Physiological Society) Sympathetic nerve activity to skeletal muscle blood vessels--a function of the nervous system that helps regulate blood pressure--increases during physiological and mental stress in people with chronic anxiety, a new study finds. Over time, this response may increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, although the study did not test this specifically. The study, published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurophysiology, is an APSselect article for May.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news