Arterial Hypertension—Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Abstract

Arterial hypertension (AH) is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), leading to dysfunction of many organs, including the heart, blood vessels and kidneys. AH is a multifactorial disease. It has been suggested that the development of each factor is influenced by oxidative stress, which is characterized by a disturbed oxidant-antioxidant balance. Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an impaired antioxidant system promote the development of endothelial dysfunction (ED), inflammation and increased vascular contractility, resulting in remodeling of cardiovascular (CV) tissue. The hope for restoring the proper functioning of the vessels is placed on antioxidants, and pharmacological strategies are still being sought to reverse the harmful effects of free radicals. In our review, we focused on the correlation of AH with oxidative stress and inflammation, which are influenced by many factors, such as diet, supplementation and pharmacotherapy. Studies show that the addition of a single dietary component may have a beneficial effect on blood pressure (BP) values; however, the relationship between the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties of individual dietary components and the hypotensive effect is not clear. Moreover, AH pharmacotherapy alleviates the increased oxidative stress, which may help prevent organ damage.