[The autonomic nervous system and hypertension]

It was shown that dysregulation of the cardiovascular system plays an important role in the development of arterial hypertension. Sympathetic drive can be increased mainly in cases of borderline and essential hypertension. The rise in sympathetic activity is not well balanced by the adequate increase in parasympathetic activity, even the PS tone is diminished. Relative sympathotony can occur beside the absolute sympathotony due to the decrease in the PS tone with normal or quantitatively less diminished sympathetic drive. The cause of the ANS activity dysbalance remains unknown. Probably there exist disorders of generator and modulator activities in higher levels of CNS, baroreceptor regulation and other peripheral (humoral and other) mechanisms. Adequate and appropriate recording of different cardiovascular parameters mainly during activation of ANS by maneuvers (orthostasis, Valsalva, etc.) is necessary. Beat-to-beat registrations of blood pressure (e.g. by Penáz method FINAPRES), heart rate (RR intervals) are necessary for the evaluation of short term blood pressure and heart rate fluctuations. Important information about S/PS activities and the balance in heart rate regulation can be achieved by spectral and non-linear analysis of the HR variability. Regular physical aerobic exercise increases the parasympathetic tone and is beneficial for restoration of the disordered S/PS balance in young hypertonics. It can be used as non-pharmacological treatment of arterial hypertension.