Hypertension is one of the main risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease and is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. In addition to well-established pathophysiological mechanisms, sex differences play a significant role in the development and progression of hypertension. Sex hormones influence numerous neural, humoral, vascular, and immunological mechanisms that are responsible for maintaining circulatory homeostasis. Understanding the role of these sex-specific mechanisms in the development of hypertension is important for developing therapeutic approaches to prevent cardiovascular outcomes that may differ between men and women.

This Research Topic aims to explore the hormonal, autonomic, and vascular mechanisms underlying sex-specific differences in the development and progression of hypertension. The goal is to identify the molecular and physiological drivers that lead to differing clinical presentations and therapeutic responses between the sexes. We encourage studies that investigate how sex hormones modulate sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity, vascular reactivity, and humoral factors related to oxidative stress and inflammation. A central objective is to understand how these interactions evolve through different life stages and how they influence the effectiveness of antihypertensive therapies in men and women.

To gather further insights into these mechanisms, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• The role of the autonomic nervous system in the development and progression of hypertension (effects of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone on sympathetic and parasympathetic activity; local brain renin–angiotensin system; brain vasopressin and oxytocin systems; baroreflex activity; heart rate and arterial blood pressure variability).

• The influence of sex differences on vascular and humoral mechanisms, such as arterial stiffness, the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, the nitric oxide system, endothelin activity, and immune processes that contribute to the development and progression of hypertension.

• The role of different autonomic, hormonal, and vascular mechanisms in the development and progression of hypertension throughout a woman’s lifespan (premenopausal and postmenopausal periods, with a focus on the specific characteristics of hypertension during pregnancy).

• Therapeutic approaches to hypertension based on sex differences (effects of various antihypertensive drugs such as beta-blockers, renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics in the treatment of hypertension in men, premenopausal, and postmenopausal women).

Article types

This Research Topic welcomes submissions across a range of article types, including Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Hypothesis and Theory, Perspective, Clinical Trial, and Brief Research Report.

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Sex-Specific Mechanisms in Hypertension and Ageing: Hormonal, Autonomic, and Vascular Perspectives