The research, led by McGill University scientist Masha Prager-Khoutorsky in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team at McGill and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, suggests the brain may be a missing link in certain forms of high blood pressure - or hypertension - traditionally attributed to the kidneys.
   "This is new evidence that high blood pressure can originate in the brain, opening the door for developing treatments that act on the brain," said Prager-Khoutorsky, associate professor in McGill's Department of Physiology.
  Hypertension affects two-thirds of people over 60 and contributes to 10 million deaths worldwide each year. Often symptomless, the condition increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and other serious health problems.
  About one-third of patients don't respond to standard medications, which primarily target the blood vessels and kidneys based on the long-standing view that hypertension begins there. The study, published in the journal Neuron, suggests the brain may also be a key driver of the condition, particularly in treatment-resistant cases
Know more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250822073818.htm