[Epidemiology of arterial hypertension and organ damage]

In this review prevalence of hypertension and target organ damage related to hypertension were analyzed. The prognostic role of blood pressure variability in hypertensive patients was also discussed. Prevalence of hypertension has been related to several factors that could influence it. They included environmental and racial factors, sodium and alcohol intake, age, gender and concomitant diseases. Moreover the importance of left ventricular hypertrophy and structural vascular abnormalities in the developing of cardiovascular disease induced by hypertension were evaluated. On the other hand the role of microalbuminuria as marker of renal impairment in hypertensive patients has been reported. At last cerebral and retinal involvement in hypertensives was discussed.