Montreal: A recent Canadian study conducted by researchers at McGill University found that a diet high in salt causes inflammation in the brain, which in turn leads to high blood pressure. According to Qatar News Agency, the study indicated that the brain may be a missing link in certain forms of hypertension, which is typically attributed to the kidneys. This presents new evidence that high blood pressure can originate in the brain, opening the door to developing brain-targeted treatments. It explained that hypertension affects two-thirds of people over the age of 60 and contributes to the death of 10 million people worldwide annually. The condition often shows no symptoms, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health problems. The study noted that about one-third of patients do not respond to conventional medications that primarily target blood vessels and kidneys, based on the prevailing belief that hypertension begins there. However, the new research suggests the brain may al so play a key role, especially in treatment-resistant cases. To simulate human eating patterns, researchers gave mice water containing 2% salt, equivalent to a diet rich in fast food, bacon, instant noodles, and processed cheese. They observed that the high-salt diet activated immune cells in a specific brain region, causing inflammation and an increase in vasopressin hormone levels, which raises blood pressure. They tracked these changes using advanced brain imaging and laboratory techniques that have only recently become available. Prager Khoutorsky, one of the study's researchers, stated that the brain's role in hypertension has been largely overlooked due to the difficulty of studying it, but new technologies now allow these changes to be observed practically. She also pointed out that mice were used because they regulate salt and water similarly to humans, increasing the likelihood of applying the findings to human cases. The research team plans to study whether similar processes are involved in other forms of hypertension.