Animal Models of Hypertension: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Translational Medicine
• Animal Models in Disease Research

Background:

• Hypertension is a prevalent global chronic disease with often undetermined causes.
• Animal models are vital tools for investigating hypertension pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies.
• The effectiveness of animal models hinges on their accuracy in representing human hypertension and study quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of animal models in hypertension research.
• To identify unmet needs in developing and utilizing animal models for hypertension.
• To emphasize the role of valid and high-quality animal models in advancing hypertension understanding and treatment.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on animal models of hypertension.
• Analysis of the utility and limitations of current animal models.
• Identification of key areas for improvement in model development and experimental design.

Main Results:

• Animal models have significantly contributed to understanding hypertension pathogenesis.
• Current models require enhancement to better mimic clinical hypertensive syndromes.
• High-quality studies in animal models are essential for reliable results.

Conclusions:

• Animal models are indispensable for unraveling hypertension's complexities.
• Developing more representative and rigorously studied animal models is critical.
• Further research using improved animal models can address unmet needs in hypertension prevention and treatment.