Vol. 23 No. 1 (2026)
Narrative Review

The roles of perivascular adipose tissue in obesity-related hypertension

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Cam Ly Nguyen
Bio
Ernesto L. Schiffrin
Bio
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26443/mjm.v23i1.1157

Published 2026-10-15

Keywords

  • Obesity,
  • Hypertension,
  • Perivascular adipose tissue,
  • Inflammation,
  • Immune cells

How to Cite

1.
Nguyen CL, Schiffrin E. The roles of perivascular adipose tissue in obesity-related hypertension. McGill J Med [Internet]. 2026 Oct. 15 [cited 2026 Oct. 16];23(1). Available from: https://mjm.mcgill.ca/article/view/1157

Copyright (c) 2026 Cam Ly Nguyen, Ernesto L. Schiffrin

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Background: Obesity and hypertension (HTN) are two of the most prevalent and pressing current global health issues due to their associated morbidity and mortality. Obese individuals are more susceptible to developing HTN. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) has been posited to be the fourth layer of the normal arterial wall. PVAT can modulate vascular tone, vascular endothelial function, and vascular smooth muscle cell growth and proliferation, contributing to HTN.

Results: In obesity-related HTN, PVAT exhibits abnormal vasoactive adipokine production and immune cell recruitment as well as enhanced inflammation, which exacerbate blood pressure elevation and lead to target organ damage. Distinct immune cell populations have been identified to infiltrate PVAT, which can become potential therapeutic targets.

Conclusion: This paper reviews PVAT dysfunction in obesity-related HTN, highlighting the vasoactive factor release, immune cell infiltration, and inflammation, as well as implications for therapeutic approaches.

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