Inflammation, hypercholesterolemia, vascular dysfunction and sex differences in hypertension

While high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a major health burden, in ~90% of cases the underlying cause is unknown. These doctoral studies sought to better understand mechanisms contributing to hypertension. Inflammation has been linked to hypertension, but I found that the presence of inflammation alone was insufficient to cause hypertension. However, I found that one contributing factor could be an increased sensitivity to the pro-hypertensive effects of angiotensin II that develops in advanced age. I also found that activating certain estrogen receptors may be a viable therapy to treat some hypertension cases in both sexes