Let's learn about Angiotensin, which controls your blood pressure.

Have you ever had problems with your blood pressure? Perhaps a doctor has mentioned a word like Angiotensin when talking about your blood pressure. What exactly is this angiotensin? How important is it to our bodies? Let's talk about it simply today.

What exactly is Angiotensin?

Simply put, angiotensin is a hormone in our body. Hormones are like messengers running around our bodies. They travel through the blood and tell various organs, muscles, and tissues what to do and when to do it. So this hormone called angiotensin mainly controls our blood pressure and regulates the amount of water and salt (especially sodium) in our body. It does this by constricting or narrowing the blood vessels and helping the body absorb water and salt.

There are four different types of angiotensin. They are called by Roman numerals: Angiotensin I, II, III, IV. Of these , Angiotensin II is the main and most active hormone. It is like the captain of the team. If the amount of this angiotensin in our body decreases or increases, it can affect our health. Therefore, a balance of this is very important.

Sometimes doctors give an artificially made angiotensin II, which is given intravenously (IV) to adults, to restore blood pressure to normal, especially in severe cases such as septic shock, where blood pressure has dropped too low.

What does Angiotensin II do to the body?

Angiotensin II is a very active hormone. It travels to many places in our bodies and does many things. But its main effects are to increase blood volume, increase blood pressure, and increase sodium (salt) levels. This happens like this:

• Your adrenal glands are stimulated to release another hormone called aldosterone . This aldosterone causes the body to retain sodium, but potassium is excreted in the urine.
• It increases blood pressure by constricting the walls of the small arteries (arterioles). Think of it like squeezing a water pipe and making the water flow faster.
• It affects the hypothalamus in your brain, making you thirsty. Then you drink water.
• It also speaks to the hypothalamus, making you crave salt.
• The pituitary gland helps release antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also known as vasopressin . This ADH causes the kidneys to reabsorb more water into the body, which increases the amount of water in the body.

Simply put, angiotensin II is a key player in increasing blood pressure and increasing the amount of salt and water in the body.

How are these angiotensin levels controlled?

This is a rather complex system, like a series of interconnected mechanisms. It's called the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) . This is the main system that helps regulate our blood pressure.

Imagine, this is how it starts:

1. First, when your blood pressure drops , your kidneys release an enzyme called renin into your bloodstream. Enzymes are things that speed up chemical reactions.

2. This renin breaks down a protein called angiotensinogen , which is made in the liver. Then a piece of it is released, which is the hormone called angiotensin I. But this angiotensin I is inactive, which means it cannot have a big effect on its own.

3. Then, as this angiotensin I circulates in the bloodstream, it is broken down by another enzyme called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in the lungs and kidneys. That's when active angiotensin II is formed.

Now this newly formed angiotensin II comes into play:

• It constricts the walls of the small arteries (arterioles) and increases blood pressure.
• Also, the adrenal glands are told to release aldosterone, and the pituitary gland is told to release ADH (vasopressin).

This aldosterone and ADH together force the kidneys to retain sodium (salt) in the body. Aldosterone causes potassium to be excreted in the urine. When sodium levels in the blood increase, the body also retains water. This increases blood volume and blood pressure. That is when the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is completed. Do you understand this cycle?

The RAAS system can also be activated by other hormones, such as corticosteroids, estrogen, and thyroid hormones . If there is a problem with any part of this system, it can affect your blood pressure, sodium, and potassium levels. But there are many other things that can affect blood pressure, such as high cholesterol, genetics, and certain medications.

What happens if angiotensin levels decrease?

If angiotensin II levels are lower than normal (also called angiotensin deficiency ), the following problems can occur:

• Low blood pressure (hypotension) .
• Increased potassium levels (hyperkalemia) .
• Decreased sodium levels (hyponatremia) .
• Excessive fluid (water) excretion with urine.

What are the symptoms of low blood pressure?

You may feel things like:

• Dizziness, lightheadedness, and possibly fainting.
• Blurred vision.
• Nausea.
• Hard work.

Symptoms of high potassium (Hyperkalemia)

If potassium levels in the body increase, the following things can happen:

• Stomach ache and diarrhea.
• Chest pain.
• Irregular or rapid heartbeat (arrhythmia).
• Muscle weakness or numbness in the limbs.
• Nausea and vomiting.

Symptoms of low sodium (Hyponatremia)

If the body's sodium levels decrease, symptoms such as:

• Muscle pain or weakness.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Lethargy, lack of energy.
• Headache and confusion.
• Epileptic seizures.

If you have symptoms like these, it is very important to definitely talk to a doctor.

What happens if angiotensin levels increase?

Now let's look at what happens when angiotensin II levels are higher than normal. If this happens, the body retains unnecessary fluid (water) and blood pressure increases (hypertension). This condition is often seen in people with heart failure . Scientists believe that having too much angiotensin also contributes to the enlargement of the heart.

Fortunately, doctors can prescribe medications to treat people with high angiotensin II levels. The most common of these are ACE inhibitors (such as enalapril) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) (such as losartan) . However, like most medications, these medications can have side effects. In particular, they can cause high potassium levels in the body (hyperkalemia). It is important to take your medication exactly as your doctor tells you to and to have regular checkups.

Finally, things to remember

So, now you understand how important this hormone called angiotensin is in controlling our blood pressure. It's like a delicate balance, too little is a problem, too much is a problem.

It's important to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. Also, if you're having trouble controlling your blood pressure due to changes in your salt (sodium) levels, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor about your angiotensin levels. They can then run tests to see if your symptoms are caused by a hormone imbalance.

Remember, never stop or start any medication without consulting a doctor. Do everything according to your doctor's instructions. Then you can stay healthy.

` Angiotensin, blood pressure, hormone, renin, aldosterone, ACE inhibitors, hypertension, hypotension