The rapid rise in the incidence and prevalence of obesity and the concomitant increase in the incidence and prevalence of hypertension have fueled investigation into the role of obesity in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The genetic background that predisposes obese individuals to hypertension is being elucidated, and the importance of adipose tissue as an endocrine organ in the pathogenesis of hypertension is increasingly being recognized. In this Review, Bogaert and Linas summarize and highlight the various mechanisms that are postulated to be involved in human obesity-mediated hypertension.
- Yolanda E Bogaert
- Stuart Linas
