609 | id == 609
609 | category_id == 96
609 | category_order == 29
609 | category_name == Blood Pressure
609 | category_color == #C47AC0
609 | slug == NGF-blood-pressure
609 | title == The Role of Nerve Growth Factors in Blood Pressure (NGF)
609 | meta_description == The NGF gene encodes nerve growth factor. Could this gene have a harmful effect on blood vessels & blood pressure?
609 | summary == <p><strong>The <em>NGF </em>gene encodes nerve growth factor. Could this gene have a harmful effect on blood vessels &amp; blood pressure? Read on to find out.</strong></p>
609 | overall_score_text == Your Blood Pressure Score (based on NGF)
609 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/NGF-Blood-Pressure.jpg
609 | author_id == 1
609 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
609 | author_title == BSc, BEd
609 | author_order == 36
609 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
609 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
609 | reviewer == None
609 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
609 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
609 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
609 | publish_date == 2021
609 | publish_date == 1
609 | publish_date == 19
609 | avg_rating == 5.0
609 | tags_id == 172
609 | tags_name == Blood Pressure
609 | tags_id == 372
609 | tags_name == Blood vessels
609 | tags_id == 335
609 | tags_name == Hypertension
609 | tags_id == 224
609 | tags_name == Nervous System
609 | tags_id == 499
609 | tags_name == Neurotrophic Factors
609 | tags_id == 675
609 | tags_name == NGF
609 | tags_id == 1157
609 | tags_name == NGF Gene
609 | permissions_favorite == False
609 | permissions_rate == False
609 | content_article == <h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NGF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes nerve growth factor. Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NGF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may play a role in blood pressure by causing excessive nerve growth around blood vessels. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by balancing NGF activity and preventing excess nerve growth.</span></p> <h2><strong><em>NGF</em></strong><strong> and Blood Pressure</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/ngf/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NGF</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene encodes a protein called nerve growth factor. As its name suggests, NGF may promote the growth, maintenance, and survival of neurons and axons. It&rsquo;s also thought to help repair the </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/myelin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">myelin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> sheath, which is the insulating coating around the axons. Mutations in this gene are relatively common in inherited diseases of the nervous system [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/4803"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4812798/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Animal experiments found that as the production of NGF decreases in the brain, the animals&rsquo; ability to form new connections and to retain and access memories becomes impaired. They believe NGF might save degenerating nerves and help restore their function; this effect has yet to be studied in humans, however [</span><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05883.x/epdf?r3_referer=wol&amp;tracking_action=preview_click&amp;show_checkout=1&amp;purchase_referrer=onlinelibrary.wiley.com&amp;purchase_site_license=LICENSE_DENIED_NO_CUSTOMER"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NGF may also play a role in supporting In a mouse model of injury to the artery, NGF seemed to have regenerated nerves around the blood vessels and subsequently helped form new blood vessels, supporting their development and stabilization [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24296254"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NGF has been implicated in blood pressure for decades, but researchers are still investigating the connection between the two [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10081910/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29466195/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6449302/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In animals, high levels of NGF in the blood vessels leads to increased blood pressure. Some studies suggest that high NGF may actually lead to too much nerve growth in and around the blood vessels; this, in turn, could excessively activate the muscles controlling the size of blood vessels [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6449302/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the other hand, NGF appears to protect the heart and blood vessels from permanent damage after an injury&mdash;so excessively high or excessively low NGF could both cause problems, and it&rsquo;s important for this gene to be expressed within an optimal range [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6449302/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NGF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene encodes nerve growth factor. In excess, this protein may promote the growth of too many nerves around blood vessels, leading to increased blood pressure.</span></span></p> <h2><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>NGF</em></strong><strong> Results for Blood Pressure</strong></h2> <p>*1454710023628342*</p> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/ngf/"><strong>NGF</strong></a> <a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs11466111/"><strong>rs11466111</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25826379/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with normal blood pressure</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Strongly associated with high blood pressure</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele may promote excess growth of nerves around blood vessels, leading to contraction of smooth muscles and increased blood pressure [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6449302/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p>*3071370520415937*</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations for Reducing Blood Pressure</strong></h2> <p>*1343799907843474*</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abnormally high or low NGF may each have detrimental effects on health. As such, this section will focus on strategies that may restore normal NGF levels and prevent the harmful downstream effects of excessive NGF.</span></p> <h3><strong>Stress Management</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Psychological </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/63-factors-raising-stress-cortisol-level-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may cause an imbalance in the production and activity of NGF. In rats, chronic mild stress led to increased breakdown of mature NGF, but faster production of new NGF [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26771945/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NGF is also essential for managing the physiological effects of stress. People with unbalanced NGF activity may experience these effects more acutely than others [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32811396/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Experiencing psychological </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/63-factors-raising-stress-cortisol-level-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was associated with about two and a half times higher risk of high blood pressure in a meta-analysis of 11 studies involving 5696 people. In people with high response to stressors, psychological stress further increases blood pressure by 21% [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28415916/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19347197/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stress from job strain has also been associated with higher blood pressure, especially in men [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12883105/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673518/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stress-reduction techniques such as stress management training, biofeedback, and muscle relaxation lowered blood pressure in several clinical trials [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25084308/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2268875/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18548088/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><strong>Music Therapy</strong></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mice that listened to slow rhythm </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/20-scientifically-proven-health-benefits-music-blood-pressure-insomnia/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">music</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for 6 hours per day over a time period of 3 weeks were found to have decreased NGF levels in their brains [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17980967/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several meta-analyses found that </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/20-scientifically-proven-health-benefits-music-blood-pressure-insomnia/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">music therapy</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may lower systolic (by up to 10 mmHg) and diastolic (by up to 6 mmHg) blood pressure in people with hypertension [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4837643/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3860955/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27096963/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Music increases </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/dopamine/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">dopamine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> activity, which lowers blood pressure by inhibiting the fight-or-flight (sympathetic) nervous system [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15246862/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Psychological stress may cause an imbalance in NGF and has been linked with high blood pressure. Music therapy may help normalize NGF levels and reduce blood pressure.</span></p> <h3><strong>Olive Oil</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In mice, olive oil supplementation fine-tuned NGF expression in different parts of the brain and body, increasing it in some parts and decreasing it in others [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23466052/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several meta-analyses found that including </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/olive-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">extra virgin olive oil </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">in the diet may lower systolic but not diastolic blood pressure The antioxidant polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil may reduce oxidative damage to the blood vessels and enhance the production of the blood vessel-widening molecule nitric oxide [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26055128/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29708409/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31378629/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a small study of 23 people with high blood pressure, a diet rich in extra virgin olive oil reduced the need for blood pressure-lowering medication [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10737284/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Olive oil may decrease blood pressure while both increasing and decreasing NGF in different tissues, suggesting that its benefits would not come at the cost of NGF in the brain.</span></p> <h3><strong>Grape Seed Extract</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a study of rats, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/everything-need-know-grapeseed-extract-references/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">grape seed extract</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> contains polyphenols that may normalize NGF levels that have been thrown out of balance. However, this study only tested the bladders of diabetic rats; it is unclear how grape seed extract affects NGF in other parts of the body [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4431834/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several meta-analyses found that </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/everything-need-know-grapeseed-extract-references/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">grape seed extract</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> lowers systolic (by up to 6.07 mmHg) and diastolic (by up to 2.8 mmHg) blood pressure. The extract was most effective in people younger than 50 years old, obese, or with metabolic syndrome [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5370781/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21802563/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a small placebo-controlled trial of 9 prehypertensive men, grape seed extract preventive rises of blood pressure in response to </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">exercise</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29683391/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grape seed extract may lower blood pressure by improving blood vessel function, as seen in a placebo-controlled trial of 30 people [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950399/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Grape seed extract lowered blood pressure in clinical settings; it may normalize NGF levels that are out of balance.</span></p>
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609 | content_learn_more_3071370520415937_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your NGF is associated with excess nerve growth around blood vessels. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of high blood vessels; it’s just one gene related to it. Stress management, olive oil, and grape seed extract may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs11466111
rsStatus = rs11466111,NGF,chr1,115286557,C,T,,,34,0,Normal
