Obesity-induced hypertension - New concepts from the emerging biology of obesity

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of hypertension. In the past 5 years there have been dramatic advances into the genetic and neurobiologic al mechanisms of obesity with the discovery of leptin and novel neuropeptid e pathways regulating appetite and metabolism. In this brief review, we arg ue that these mounting advances into the neurobiology of obesity have and w ill continue to provide new insights into the regulation of arterial pressu re in obesity. We focus our comments on the sympathetic, vascular, and rena l mechanisms of leptin and melanocortin receptor agonists and on the regula tion of arterial pressure in rodent models of genetic obesity. We suggest 3 concepts. First, the effect of obesity on blood pressure may depend critic ally on the genetic-neurobiological mechanisms underlying the obesity. Seco nd, obesity is not consistently associated with increased blood pressure, a t least in rodent models. Third, the blood pressure response to obesity may be critically influenced by modifying alleles in the genetic background.