by megan rauscher
new york (reuters health) - opioid hormones, which are naturally produced by the body to reduce pain, may be involved in changes in both pain sensitivity and blood pressure among people with early-stage hypertension.
"persons with hypertension have reduced pain sensitivity," dr. james a. mccubbin told reuters health. "this pattern also emerges in young people at risk for hypertension, suggesting that altered pain sensitivity may have a role in the early development of this disease," he added.
however, the exact relationship between pain perception and altered blood pressure control is not clear, mccubbin, from clemson university in south carolina, and his colleagues note in the medical journal psychosomatic medicine.
mccubbin's team examined the effects of natural opioids, such as endorphins and enkephalins, on pain perception and blood pressure in 125 young adults with mildly elevated blood pressure. on separate occasions, subjects were given the opioid blocker, naltrexone, or placebo 60 minutes before their pain threshold was tested by immersing their dominant hand in ice water for two minutes or as long as they could bear.
the results, report the researchers, support the idea that blood pressure goes up as pain sensitivity goes down —— whether or not natural opioids are blocked. this indicates that both opioid and non-opioid analgesic mechanisms are linked to blood pressure.
new york (reuters health) - opioid hormones, which are naturally produced by the body to reduce pain, may be involved in changes in both pain sensitivity and blood pressure among people with early-stage hypertension.
"persons with hypertension have reduced pain sensitivity," dr. james a. mccubbin told reuters health. "this pattern also emerges in young people at risk for hypertension, suggesting that altered pain sensitivity may have a role in the early development of this disease," he added.
however, the exact relationship between pain perception and altered blood pressure control is not clear, mccubbin, from clemson university in south carolina, and his colleagues note in the medical journal psychosomatic medicine.
mccubbin's team examined the effects of natural opioids, such as endorphins and enkephalins, on pain perception and blood pressure in 125 young adults with mildly elevated blood pressure. on separate occasions, subjects were given the opioid blocker, naltrexone, or placebo 60 minutes before their pain threshold was tested by immersing their dominant hand in ice water for two minutes or as long as they could bear.
the results, report the researchers, support the idea that blood pressure goes up as pain sensitivity goes down —— whether or not natural opioids are blocked. this indicates that both opioid and non-opioid analgesic mechanisms are linked to blood pressure.