Research
Hormonal
Activation of the central melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) is necessary for obesity to increase sympathetic nervous system activity and arterial pressure.
Blocking the MC4 receptor lowers blood pressure in obese individuals, even if they gain weight. This suggests that targeting this specific brain pathway is a viable strategy for treating obesity-related hypertension.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
the presence of a functional POMC-MC4R system appears to be necessary for obesity to increase SNS activity and arterial pressure.
Why this rating
Supported by human genetic studies (MC4R deficiency) and animal models.
Source
Obesity-induced Hypertension: Role of Sympathetic Nervous System, Leptin, and Melanocortins
John E. Hall et al. · Journal of Biological Chemistry · 2010
DOI 10.1074/jbc.r110.113175
narrative_reviewCited 523×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Excess weight gain causes hypertension primarily through activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), mediated by leptin and melanocortin receptors, leading to increased renal sodium reabsorption and impaired pressure natriuresis.Good
- Obesity induces 'selective leptin resistance' where the appetite-suppressing effects of leptin are blunted, but the blood pressure-raising effects (via SNS activation) remain intact.Good
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