Pathophysiology of hypertension.

Environmental factors such as excessive sodium ingestion and increasing adiposity are suspected to play a major role in the development of hypertension in elderly persons. Both aging and hypertension are associated with similar vascular structural changes including atherosclerosis. Despite the observed age-related changes in vascular structure, other factors must be important in contributing to the elevated pressure in isolated systolic hypertension. Alterations in sympathetic nervous system function may play a major role in the age-related increases in blood pressure and hypertension, especially isolated systolic hypertension.