Oxidative stress in hypertension

ABSTRACT

Reactive oxygen species interfere with the mechanisms controlling BP and play an important role in the development of hypertension and vascular damage. Oxidative stress is increased in hypertensive subjects even in cells other than those present in the vascular wall. This increased oxidative stress, not related to BP values, is accompanied by a reduction in the most important antioxidant mechanisms and by a accumulation of reactive oxygen species by product not only from lipid peroxidation but also from oxidized genomic and mitochondrial DNA. To better understand the clinical significance of oxidative stress in hypertension, it is necessary to explore whether the reduction in antioxidant mechanisms is the cause or the consequence of oxidative stress.