The Medical clinics of North America
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Adherence to antihypertensive medication remains a key modifiable factor in the management of hypertension. The multidimensional nature of adherence and blood pressure (BP) control call for multicomponent, patient-centered interventions to improve adherence. Promising strategies to improve antihypertensive medication adherence and BP control include regimen simplification, reduction of out-of-pocket costs, use of allied health professionals for intervention delivery, and self-monitoring of BP. Research to understand the effects of technology-mediated interventions, mechanisms underlying adherence behavior, and sex-race differences in determinants of low adherence and intervention effectiveness may enhance patient-specific approaches to improve adherence and disease control.
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Med. Clin. North Am. · Jan 2017
ReviewLocal Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone Systems and Cardiovascular Diseases.
The presence of local renin angiotensin aldosterone systems (RAAS) in the cardiovascular and renal tissues and their influence in cardiovascular and renal diseases are described. The fundamental role of ACE/Ang II/AT1 receptor axis activation as well the counterregulatory role of ACE2/Ang (1-7)/Mas receptor activation on cardiovascular and renal physiology and pathology are emphasized. The presence of a local RAS and its influence on hypertension is discussed, and finally, the hypothesis that epigenetic factors change the RAAS in utero and induce the expression of renin or Ang II inside the cells of the cardiovascular system is presented.
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Med. Clin. North Am. · Jan 2017
ReviewThe Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System in Obesity and Hypertension: Roles in the Cardiorenal Metabolic Syndrome.
In the United States, more than 50 million people have blood pressure at or above 120/80 mm Hg. All components of cardiorenal metabolic syndrome (CRS) are linked to metabolic abnormalities and obesity. ⋯ Several pathophysiologic factors participate in the link between hypertension and CRS. This article updates recent literature with a focus on the function of insulin resistance, obesity, and renin angiotensin aldosterone system-mediated oxidative stress on endothelial dysfunction and the pathogenesis of hypertension.
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It has become clear that reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the development of hypertension via myriad effects. ROS are essential for normal cell function; however, they mediate pathologic changes in the brain, the kidney, and blood vessels that contribute to the genesis of chronic hypertension. There is also emerging evidence that ROS contribute to immune activation in hypertension. This article discusses these events and how they coordinate to contribute to hypertension and its consequent end-organ damage.