[Vasculature in hypertension]

Abstract

Hypertensive disease causes vascular complications, which are clinically important. Reversely, vascular dysfunction accelerates hypertension and its complication. The structural changes in vasculature alter vascular function but blood vessels, which does not have structural changes, also exhibit abnormal vascular function. Recently, it has been recognized that hemodynamic factors modifis vascular function. Especially, shear stress affects vascular endothelial function to regulate vascular tone, gene expression, and leukocyte adhesion, which intimately related to pathogenesis of hypertensive disease.