Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of mortality worldwide. The incidence and the severity of hypertension is higher in middle-aged men than women. The hallmark of hypertension is an increased sympathetic nerve activity to the cardiovascular organs. One mechanism that regulates sympathetic nerve activity is the homeostatic baroreflex which maintains blood pressure at optimal levels for survival. Baroreceptive nerve endings in