• Question: If blood pressure rises with an asthmatic attack, is it due to the secondary inflammatory response releasing catecholamines, increasing heart rate, in conjunction with forced exhalation and the use of abdominal muscles increasing intrathoracic pressure which is conveyed to the great vessels and the heart, causing hypertension?

    Asked by slytheringirl to Mike, Pip, Tianfu, Tim, Tom on 3 Jul 2012.
    • Photo: Tim Stephens

      Tim Stephens answered on 3 Jul 2012:

      I understand some of the words in this question, but not enough to answer it for you. Perhaps the Pathology zone is where to take it?

    • Photo: Tom Lister

      Tom Lister answered on 3 Jul 2012:

      I agree that blood pressure will rise with the release of catecholamines (like adrenaline for example) – both the increase in heart rate and constriction of blood vessels contribute (I guess that’s what you mean by secondary inflammatory response?). I think heavy breathing is unlikely to cause high blood pressure (hypertension) in itself, as pressure in the thorax can usually be ‘absorbed’ by the extremities.

      Cortisol release, as a response to stress, will also increase blood pressure through similar pathways.

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