Figure 3. Contribution of the carotid body to the pathological effects mediated by sympathetic hyperactivation in human diseases.

Diagram showing the pivotal role played by the carotid body in the pathological effects mediated by sympathetic hyperactivation in heart failure, obstructive sleep apnoea, hypertension and cardiometabolic diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with carotid body chemosensory potentiation, leading to an increase in sympathetic nervous system activity, which promotes autonomic dysfunction, ventilatory instability, baroreflex alterations, hypertension, fibrosis, and insulin resistance.