[Molecular biology and cardiac and vascular changes in hypertension: focus on the renin-angiotensin system]

Arterial hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease in Western countries. In the last few years a widespread application of molecular medicine techniques has led to unprecedent progress in unravelling both the pathogenetic mechanisms of cardiac hypertrophy and accelerated atherosclerosis as well as the genetical markers of susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. Available data demonstrate the presence of all components of the renin-angiotensin system in the heart and arterial wall and suggest that they may play a crucial role in causing both myocardial hypertrophy and atherosclerosis in hypertension. The current research strategies along with the most recent results in this field are reviewed.