Central sympathetic overactivity: Maladies and mechanisms

There is growing evidence to suggest that many disease states are accompanied by chronic elevations in sympathetic nerve activity. The present review will specifically focus on central sympathetic overactivity and highlight three main areas of interest: 1) the pathological consequences of excessive sympathetic nerve activity; 2) the potential role of centrally derived nitric oxide in the genesis of neural dysregulation in disease; and 3) the promise of several novel therapeutic strategies targeting central sympathetic overactivity. The findings from both animal and human studies will be discussed and integrated in an attempt to provide a concise update on current work and ideas in these important areas.