Age-dependent blood pressure elevation is due to increased vascular smooth muscle tone mediated by G-protein signalling

Arterial hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The kidney and its natriuretic function are in the centre of the prevailing models to explain the pathogenesis of hypertension; however, the mechanisms underlying blood pressure elevation remain unclear in most patients. Development of hypertension is strongly correlated with age, and this blood pressure increase typically accelerates in the fourth decade of life. The cause of age-dependent blood pressure elevation is poorly understood. This study aims to understand the role of procontractile G-protein-mediated signalling pathways in vascular smooth muscle in age-dependent hypertension.