Membrane Estrogen Receptors: Their Role in Blood Pressure Regulation and Cardiovascular Disease

Hypertension (HTN) is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and continues to affect millions of people in industrialized nations. The increasing prevalence of HTN is closely related to the growing prevalence of obesity. Despite heightened awareness of the disease, a significant percentage of patients are uncontrolled and are at higher risk of heart failure, stroke, and chronic kidney disease. Evidence of the cardiovascular protective role of estrogen in premenopausal females has brought attention to estrogen receptor activation as a treatment strategy for HTN. Estrogen promotes vasodilation and decreases inflammation and atherosclerosis. It also controls blood pressure via modulation of the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The effects of estrogen on the vasculature are partly mediated via membrane receptors. Membrane estrogen receptor a and G-protein-coupled GPER-1 have been studied extensively in the vasculature. This review will describe the available evidence supporting the role of estrogen membrane receptors in blood pressure control and CVD.