Thirst & High Blood Pressure: What is the connection?

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in Australia. Hypertension partly occurs because of an inability of the brain to appropriately regulate blood pressure. While we know this, we still have a rudimentary understanding of how the brain controls blood pressure. Greater knowledge is needed to fully understand why hypertension occurs and identify new treatments. This project will investigate how a recently identified brain pathway within a brain region that controls thirst regulates blood pressure, and pave way for future studies exploring the role of this pathway in hypertension.