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Experimental Approach to Examine Leptin Signaling in the Carotid Bodies and its Effects on Control of Breathing
Published on: October 25, 2019
Hypertension in obesity: is leptin the culprit?
Stephanie E Simonds1, Michael A Cowley
1Monash Obesity & Diabetes Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Abstract:
The number of obese or overweight humans continues to increase worldwide. Hypertension is a serious disease that often develops in obesity, but it is not clear how obesity increases the risk of hypertension. However, both obesity and hypertension increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In this review, we examine how obesity may increase the risk of developing hypertension. Specifically, we discuss how the adipose-derived hormone leptin influences the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), through actions in the brain to elevate energy expenditure (EE) while also contributing to hypertension in obesity.
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