Hypertension and Vascular Inflammation

Abstract

Hypertension is a very common disease and is often associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia. The consequences of hypertension involve coronary heart disease, heart failure, renal failure, stroke and exacerbation of the occlusive atherosclerotic coronary arterial disease. These disease states are associated with vascular structural and functional inflammatory changes including endothelial dysfunction, altered vasomotor tone, and vascular remodeling. However, whether vascular inflammation is a cause or result of hypertension is not well understood. Vascular inflammation and hypertension may share somecommon pathophysiological mechanism. In this review will show recent data concerning a potential link between inflammation and hypertension, including CRP, oxidative stress, RAS, prostaglandin, adaptive immune system, and Th17 activation by high salt intake, a major risk factor for developing hypertension.