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Antiatherosclerotic effects of antihypertensive drugs

Arterial hypertension is one of the leading causes of atherosclerosis. Many studies of antihypertensive drugs have been recently focused on prevention, stopping and if possible regression of atherosclerosis. Some antihypertensive drugs which are used in clinical practice have antiatherosclerotic effects besides their effects on the reduction of systemic blood pressure. Oxydative processes and oxygen free radicals participate in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The concentration of oxygen free radicals is increased in patients with arterial hypertension. Antioxidant could neutralise oxygen free radicals. There are endogenous antioxidants like vitamin E, vitamin C etc. Some antihypertensive drugs have antioxidant properties and they could neutralise free oxygen radicals. These drugs are: calcium channel blockers, ACE-inhibitors, beta-blocker carvedilol and blocker of alpha-receptors-doxazosine. Antiatherosclerotic effects of these drugs have been shown in experiments in vivo, in animals as well as in clinical studies. The results of the most important clinical studies will be presented in the following text.

atherosclerosis; antihypertensive therapy

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