[Similarities and differences between bipolar disorder and hypertension: may be mania is the hypertension of the mood?].

A possibly shared pathophysiological background between bipolar disorders and essential hypertension is suggested by the several similarities and overlaps between their genetic background, underlying biological disturbances (including partially shared neuroanatomical and neurochemical correlates), concomitant personality and temperamental characteristics, precipitating factors, comorbidity and treatment response. In this paper we outline and extend our previously published hypothesis discussing the similar origins of these two biphasic/bidirectional phenomena.