The role of vascular aging, bone marrow and immune system in hypertension

Hypertension is a highly prevalent chronic disease all around the world, and the pathogenic mechanism is complicated. The early and rapid decline of the function of human vascular system due to the aging of human body are characteristics of hypertension, which is accompanied by progressive pathological remodeling and arterial stiffening. The pathogenetic action of oxidation and inflammation is the vital function in the process of endothelial dysfunction and arterial injury. Bone marrow is considered as the birthplace of the immune cell, and the role of bone marrow in hematopoiesis and immune response for the onset of hypertension has been confirmed. In turn, inflammatory and oxidative stress also affect the bone marrow and damage bone marrow function, causing a series of complications in hypertension, resulting in a vicious cycle. Recently, increasing evidence has suggested that bone marrow aging plays an important role in the onset and development of hypertension, and that the function of bone marrow in the pathogenesis of hypertension has been seriously overlooked. Bone marrow microvascular ageing is also involved in the progression of bone marrow ageing. Thus, this review mainly focuses on bone marrow function in aging and hypertension progression, addresses the current studies on the roles of vascular aging, the bone marrow and the immune system in hypertension, and discusses their interaction and function in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Furthermore, some novel molecular pathological mechanisms are surveyed. This can add a new impetus to the mechanism research of hypertension onset.