Influence of atmospheric pressure on formation of arterial hypertension: pathogenetic mechanisms and indicators (literature review)

Provision of sanitary-epidemiological welfare for the country population largely depends on control for non-communicable diseases; among them, a substantial contribution belongs to arterial hypertension (AH) due to both its high prevalence and considerable proportion in the morbidity and mortality structure. Apart from the well-known risk factors, considerable influence on formation of AH can be exerted by changes in atmospheric pressure. It is advisable to identify key pathogenetic mechanisms of formation of AH upon changes in atmospheric pressure and indicators that describe them.This review covers materials presented in Russian and foreign publications, which are indexed in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, CyberLeninka, and Elibrary.ru in 2010-2025 and focus on effects produced by atmospheric pressure on a rise in blood pressure (fifty five reports). The accomplished review has allowed establishing blood pressure to grow upon atmospheric pressure differences due to activation of the sympathoadrenal system (SAS) and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) with a subsequent growth in cardiac output and heart rate (HR). When atmospheric pressure goes down, a decline in the vascular tone and partial oxygen density (ρO2) are the initial segments; when it grows, arterial walls swell and spastic vasoconstriction occurs. Indicators for further profound analysis may include heart rate, cardiac output, blood pressure, biochemical indicators that describe SAS and RAAS activation, functional indicators that describe the state of the autonomic nervous system, ultrasound indicators to describe morphofunctional state of the heart and vessels, as well as hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2) under declining atmospheric pressure. Our results can be used in hygienic descriptions of effects produced by changes in atmospheric pressure on formation of AH within social and hygienic monitoring as well as for implementing branch activity plans with their focus on adaption to climate change within providing sanitary-epidemiological welfare of the country population.Contributions: Khasanova А.А. – study concept and design, collection and analysis of literature data, writing, and editing; Zaitseva N.V., Shur P.Z. – research design, editing; Ustinova О.Yu. – collecting and analyzing literature data, and writing text. All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Funding. The study had no sponsorship.Received: September 22, 2025 / Accepted: December 2, 2025 / Published: January 15, 2026