Khaberni - A recent study indicates that certain body fats may help regulate blood pressure, specifically brown fat. Typically, people with obesity have a larger amount of white fat, which stores energy, compared to brown fat, which burns calories.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2024, around 1.4 billion adults worldwide suffered from high blood pressure.
As reported by "Medical News Today", high blood pressure is the number one risk factor for death worldwide and is responsible for almost half of the deaths linked to heart disease and stroke globally.
There are several causes of high blood pressure. Some factors, such as age, race, and genetics, are non-modifiable, while others such as diet, level of physical activity, stress, smoking, and obesity are modifiable.
White and Brown Fats
Typically, people with obesity have a larger amount of white fat - known as white adipose tissue - in their body compared to brown fat, and white fat accumulates around the abdomen and organs, while brown fat typically accumulates away from the abdomen.
White fat stores calories as a source of energy, while brown fat is functional and helps burn calories.
According to the recent study, which used an animal model (mice), brown fat may actually help regulate blood pressure.
Brown adipose cells, which unlike white adipose cells, burn energy to produce heat when activated, include the thermogenic fats. Cold stimulation is a classic activator of these cells.
The researchers found that the fat surrounding the blood vessels in mice contained markers of white fat, such as angiotensinogen.
The researchers reported that these mice suffered from high blood pressure and average arterial pressure, in addition to the accumulation of fibrous hardened tissue around the vessels.
