Markers of Vascular Dysfunction in Hypertension.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Nephrology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Hypertension is a growing cardiovascular risk factor linked to aging and lifestyle.
• It causes target organ damage in coronary, peripheral, cerebral, and renal arteries.
• Hypertension exacerbates age-related vascular dysfunction, involving multiple complex mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of vascular dysfunction in hypertension.
• To explore its impact on pathophysiology, diagnosis, progression, and treatment.
• To highlight the current lack of conclusive evidence in this field.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of evidence on vascular dysfunction in hypertension.
• Examination of mechanisms including endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness, inflammation, oxidative stress, and thrombosis.
• Discussion of assessment methods: endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and circulating biomarkers.

Main Results:

• Vascular dysfunction mechanisms in hypertension are complex, involving neurohormonal systems, inflammation, oxidative stress, and thrombosis.
• Biomarkers of endothelial function, arterial stiffness, oxidative stress, inflammation, and thrombosis can assess vascular damage.
• Current lifestyle and pharmacological therapies show promise, but biomarkers are not established independent risk factors or treatment targets.

Conclusions:

• Vascular dysfunction is integral to hypertension's pathophysiology and progression.
• Assessing vascular dysfunction markers may aid in risk stratification for cardiovascular events.
• Further research is needed to establish conclusive evidence for the role of vascular dysfunction biomarkers in hypertension management.