Sympathetic Nerve Traffic Activation in Essential Hypertension and Its CorrelatesNovelty and Significance [Nervous System]

Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) has shown that sympathetic activation may occur in essential hypertension (EHT). However, the small sample size of the studies, the heterogeneity of the patients examined, and the presence of confounders represented major weaknesses not allowing to draw definite conclusions. Among the 432 studies identified providing information in EHT on MSNA, 63 were eligible (1216 patients) and meta-analyzed grouping them on the basis of clinically relevant questions: (1) Is MSNA increased in hypertension of mild/moderate-to-severe degree? (2) Does sympathetic activation occur in borderline, white-coat, and masked EHT? (3) Is MSNA related to clinic and ambulatory blood pressure and target organ damage? (4) Are heart rate and venous plasma norepinephrine valuable surrogate markers of MSNA in clinical practice? The results show that MSNA was significantly greater (1.5×; P
Source: Hypertension - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Autonomic Nervous System, Hypertension Original Articles Source Type: research