- Afflicts over
40 million adults in the U.S.
- Is the most
important risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and premature
deaths.
- Is a major
contributing factor in vascular disease which kills over
1 million people every year.
PROGRESS
IN MEDICAL RESEARCH
Blood pressure
is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries and
veins created by the heart as it pumps blood to every part
of the body. When arterioles, which are the smallest branches
of the aorta, become narrow for any reason, the blood cannot
easily pass through. This increases the blood pressure in
the arteries and may overwork the heart. If the pressure increases
above normal and stays there, the result is high blood pressure.
High blood pressure results in damage to blood vessels supplying
the heart, brain, kidneys, and other organs and tissues. It
also greatly increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and
kidney failure.
How
has animal research helped people with hypertension?
Until the 1930's
little was known about the causes of hypertension. Through
animal experimentation investigators discovered that reducing
the blood supply to one kidney resulted in permanent hypertension.
This experimental model led to a better understanding of the
cause of one of the most common forms of treatable hypertension
in humans. Studies in animals has also given us invaluable
information about the effect of salt on blood pressure, and
the role of hormones in hypertension.
Is
animal research still necessary?
Without the use
of animals, research on hypertension would come to a virtual
halt. Animal studies at Henry Ford Hospital and Wayne State
University are evaluating the role of hormonal systems on
high blood pressure. These studies have important implications
for life-threatening conditions like heart attacks and strokes.
At Michigan State University a colony of naturally hypertensive
dogs is being studied to determine the causes of hypertension
in dogs and humans. At the University of Michigan studies
with dogs and pigs are helping to reveal what factors contribute
to hypertension in the hopes of developing improved treatment.
All these studies are leading us closer to a better understanding
of hypertension and helping to refine our abilities to treat
it.
What
lies ahead?
Antihypertensive
drugs have prolonged the lives of millions of Americans, and
decreased the suffering from stroke and heart attacks. These
drugs, however, are not a cure. Animal research is indispensable
for further understanding and treatment of hypertension.
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