Master High Blood Pressure Response with Picmonic for Pre-Health

The body can respond to high blood pressure (hypertension) in a variety of ways. One way is aortic release of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), which is a peptide hormone released directly from the heart in response to high blood pressure. It causes vasodilatory effects by directly triggering vasodilation in vascular smooth muscle cells and by inhibiting the effects of catecholamines. It also elevates levels of cGMP, which is part of the vasodilation pathway. ANP antagonizes aldosterone by inhibiting renin secretion and preventing activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathway. It increases the filtration rate of the glomerulus resulting in a higher amount of sodium and water excreted.