Vasomotor Center? A Possible Role in the Treatment of Hypertension

Abstract

The global burden of hypertension and associated co-morbidities (cardiac failure, renal failure), is constantly rising despite the availability of newer drugs. Therefore, this study was planned to review the role of VMC (Vasomotor Center) in hypertension along with adding stress-relieving methods in lifestyle measures to prevent an epidemic of hypertension. For this purpose textbook of physiology, and various reference studies were used. The text-book of physiology suggests the location of VMC (Lower pons and medulla) and its functioning related to blood pressure regulation. It receives a signal from baroreceptors and produces either a decrease or an increase in blood pressure. The VMC is influenced by the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus. The pathophysiology suggests that possibly chronic stress, mental overwork disturbs the cortical influences to hypothalamus and shifts VMC to a higher level and that results in high basal sympathetic discharge and increased LV ejection force along with shifting of baroreceptors and renal mechanism to a new higher level which brings the blood pressure or whole body vasculature to the same high level resulting in hypertension. The repetition of the same process shifts BP even higher. The centrally acting drugs, mental rest, sound sleep and stress relieving methods like yoga, Vipassana, etc. may help to reduce cortical impulses and to bring VMC back to normal. VMC will automatically correct various BP control mechanisms and bring back BP to normal. Thus continuous efforts are needed to remove precipitating factors of hypertension. The methods to relieve stress and exhaustion must be employed in lifestyle for hypertension besides JNC guidelines.