Does an Impaired Mitochondria Cause High Blood Pressure?

Your vital bodily processes need energy. The mitochondria are the tiny power plants that power your body. When the mitochondria are damaged, a cascading effect of ailments results with high blood pressure being one of them.

Definition

• Mitochondria are the membrane that enclose cells. They are the "cellular power plants" because they supply energy to cells by converting food to energy. They are also vital in a range of other cellular processes such as cell differentiation, cell death and controlling cell growth.

Causes

• Mitochondrial cytopathies (mitochondrial disorders) are caused by damage to the genetic material cells. This directly affects the chemical process required to convert food and oxygen into energy. This disruption eventually compounds and begins to interfere with other chemical processes, which further damages the mitochondria. This neurological disorder is genetic in many cases. Each year, between 1,000 and 4,000 children are born with this disease in the United States, according to Healthline.com.

High Blood Pressure

• Mitochondrial dysfunction adversely affects the metabolic process, which can result in obesity and high blood pressure. Mitochondria are at the center of proper cardiac function. When the mitochondria are impaired, the heart does not get its required fuel, resulting in hypertension and eventually cardiac failure.

  Mitochondria help to modulate blood pressure by reducing resistance to blood flow. The mitochondria stores coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a natural substance of cells. CoQ10 helps control blood pressure, so when the mitochondria are damaged, blood pressure tends to rise. The significant improvement in both systolic and diastolic pressure was found after a certain period of CoQ10 treatment.

Symptoms

• More than 90 percent of the energy required by your body is generated by mitochondria. The effects of mitochondrial disorder are serious. All of your vital organs---brain, nerves, skeletal muscles, heart, eyes, ears, pancreas and kidney---are affected. These organs require high energy to function properly.
  Common symptoms related to this disorder are memory loss, headache and seizures. Other symptoms are a failure to thrive in infants, poor growth, fatigue and greater risk of infection.

No Cure Yet

• This disease can be treated, but not cured. Your treatment depends on various factors such as your age, health status, nature of your disease and affected organs. If your symptoms are not severe, you may respond to vitamins, supplements, physical or occupational therapy, or traditional medications. Improve your dietary choices to prevent or treat heart failures that may result from the disorder. Reduce carbohydrates and sugar to reverse the electrical abnormalities responsible for heart attacks. Dietary supplementation with Omega-3 and polyunsaturated fatty acids may reduce your risk of heart failure that result from mitochondrial cytopathies.