It’s a mystery that has puzzled scientists for nearly a century.
But now researchers claim they have moved one step closer to working out why you don’t faint every time you stand up.
Humans should, in theory, pass out every time they stand because of a sudden drop in blood pressure – but the body compensates using neurons called baroreceptors.
Now, scientists from the Scripps Research Institute have uncovered more evidence of how this response operates.
Scientists have figured out how the body responds to the sudden drop in blood pressure that happens every time we stand up (stock)
And the team say their findings could lead to prevention of heart attacks, strokes, or even heart failure.
They found two proteins, called PIEZO1 and PIEZO2, are able to sense blood pressure and kick the baroreceptor response, or ‘baroreflex’, into action.
Once that mechanism begins, the body is instructed to increase heart rate, pushing more blood to the brain to compensate.
This ensures people don’t collapse just because they fancied standing up from the sofa and grabbing something to eat.
If blood pressure dips too low, you can easily feel faint, ScienceAlert reports. This is what the baroreflex combats.
Too high, and it could lead to a heart attack, a stroke or even heart failure.
The two proteins were first discovered several years ago by microbiologist Professor Ardem Patapoutian, of the Scripps Research Institute.
‘Our motivation for this study was rooted in basic science,’ he said.
‘Yet these findings could have major translational implications by improving our understanding of human health.’
The research on mice, published in Science, found those denied PIEZO proteins showed greater variability in their blood pressure.
When the mice were biologically given PIEZO proteins, however, blood pressure and heart rate were increased.
The results suggested the proteins play a large role in allowing the baroreflex to work, ScienceAlert reports.
However, Professor Patapoutian and colleagues said further trials are needed to determine if this also works in humans.
Hypertension deemed unresponsive to drug treatment could be targeted through the PIEZO proteins, the researchers hope.
More than one in four adults in the UK have high blood pressure and nearly half of American adults, according to estimates.