Obesity, hypertension and atherosclerosis

Hypertension and obesity are associated with an increased risk of clinical cardiovascular complications due to atherosclerosis. Moreover has been reported that hypertension may predispose to atheroma development. In the present review some common aspects to hypertension and atherosclerosis including smooth muscle cell proliferation, endothelial damage and intervention of growth factors have been analyzed. Additional data have to be provided to explain if the connections between hypertension and atherosclerosis could be considered two effects with one unknown cause. In addition some aspects related to obesity and atherosclerosis have been dissected. In particular we have reported our results indicating that young obese subjects without risk factors for cardiovascular disease have already several markers of cardiovascular damage i.e. atherogenetic lipid pattern, pro-thrombotic and hypofibrinolitic pattern without sign of coagulation and/or platelet in vivo activation, increased plasma endothelin and catecholamine values, rised fasting and after OGTT insulin levels. In view of this more extensively data have to be necessary to support the opinion that obesity and atherosclerosis could be two associated conditions evolving during the time to develop cardiovascular disease or events.