A new way to lower blood pressure: pass the chili peppers please!

William C Sessa

doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2010.07.005

A new way to lower blood pressure: pass the chili peppers please!

Cell Metab. 2010 Aug 4;12(2):109-10. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2010.07.005.

Author

William C Sessa¹

Affiliation

¹ Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. william.sessa@yale.edu

PMID: 20674855
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2010.07.005

Abstract

Activation of TRPV1 channels in sensory nerves by capsaicin promotes neuropeptide release, leading to the perception of pain and inflammation. In this issue, Yang et al. (2010) demonstrate that vascular TRPV1 mediates a beneficial effect of capsaicin in the cardiovascular system, promoting nitric oxide release and lowering blood pressure.