Review

The underlying mechanisms for development of hypertension in the metabolic syndrome

Hidekatsu Yanai¹ , Yoshiharu Tomono¹ , Kumie Ito¹ , Nobuyuki Furutani¹ , Hiroshi Yoshida² and Norio Tada¹

¹Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan

²Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan

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Nutrition Journal 2008, 7:10doi:10.1186/1475-2891-7-10

Published:	17 April 2008

Abstract

High blood pressure is an important constituent of the metabolic syndrome. However, the underlying mechanisms for development of hypertension in the metabolic syndrome are very complicated and remain still obscure. Visceral/central obesity, insulin resistance, sympathetic overactivity, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, activated renin-angiotensin system, increased inflammatory mediators, and obstructive sleep apnea have been suggested to be possible factors to develop hypertension in the metabolic syndrome. Here, we will discuss how these factors influence on development of hypertension in the metabolic syndrome.