[Free oxygen radicals in patients with hypertension]

The objective of the investigation was to test the impact of hypertension on the formation of free oxygen radicals which participate in the development of atherosclerosis. Using the method of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, the authors assessed the spontaneous and stimulated production of free oxygen radicals in phagocytic cells of complete blood in a group of healthy subjects, in not treated essential hypertension (EH), essential hypertension treated with metipranolol (Trimepranol Spofa) and EH treated with diltiazem (Blokalcin Lachema). A statistically significant increase of spontaneous and activated production of free oxygen radicals was found in the group of EH treated with diltiazem. Differences between the group of healthy subjects, untreated EH and hypertension treated with metipranolol were not statistically significant.