Sympathetic signatures of cardiovascular disease: A blueprint for development of targeted sympathetic ablation therapies

摘要

Sympathetic nervous system activity is increased in several cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and heart failure (HF).1 Indeed, one classification of the severity of HF is based on the direct relationship between the plasma concentration of the sympathetic neurotransmitter, norepi-nephrine, and impaired cardiac function.1 Although the role of increased sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) in the patho-genesis of cardiovascular disease is still debated, it is now accepted that many of the pathologies common to several of these diseases, such as endothelial dysfunction, vascular and cardiac remodeling, and dysregulation of glucose metabolism, are linked to excessive activity of the sympathetic nervous svstem.