Regulation of arterial blood pressure: baroreflex, vascular resistance and pressure natriuresis
How cardiac output and resistance set arterial pressure, the baroreflex for seconds-to-minutes control, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and why the kidney's pressure natriuresis curve sets long-term blood pressure.
Tier 1Medical sciences concept
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- MAP = cardiac output × systemic vascular resistance (plus central venous pressure). MAP ≈ diastolic + one third of pulse pressure.
- Resistance sits mainly in the arterioles and varies with 1/r⁴ (Poiseuille), so small changes in tone move BP a lot.
- Three time scales:
- Seconds: the arterial baroreflex.
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Sources
- Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology, 14th editionElsevier (Hall JE, Hall ME), 2021
- Guideline for the diagnosis and management of hypertension in adults 2016AU/NZNational Heart Foundation of Australia, 2016
- McEvoy JW, McCarthy CP, Bruno RM et al. 2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension. Eur Heart J 2024;45:3912-4018European Society of Cardiology, 2024
- Lifton RP, Gharavi AG, Geller DS. Molecular mechanisms of human hypertension. Cell 2001;104:545-56Cell, 2001
- Boyden LM, Choi M, Choate KA et al. Mutations in kelch-like 3 and cullin 3 cause hypertension and electrolyte abnormalities. Nature 2012;482:98-102Nature, 2012
- Maass PG, Aydin A, Luft FC et al. PDE3A mutations cause autosomal dominant hypertension with brachydactyly. Nat Genet 2015;47:647-53Nature Genetics, 2015
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
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