OBESITY, HYPERTENSION AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Hypertension and obesity are associated with an increased risk of clin ical cardiovascular complications due to atherosclerosis. Moreover has been reported that hypertension may predispose to atheroma developmen t. In the present review some common aspects to hypertension and ather osclerosis including smooth muscle cell proliferation, endothelial dam age and intervention of growth factors have been analyzed. Additional data have to be provided to explain if the connections between hyperte nsion and atherosclerosis could be considered two effects with one unk nown cause. In addition some aspects related to obesity and atheroscle rosis have been dissected. In particular we have reported our results indicating that young obese subjects without risk factors for cardiova scular disease have already several markers of cardiovascular damage i .e. atherogenetic lipid pattern, pro-thrombotic and hypofibrinolitic p attern without sign of coagulation and/or platelet in vivo activation, increased plasma endothelin and catecholamine values, rised fasting a nd after OGTT insulin levels. In view of this more extensively data ha ve to be necessary to support the opinion that obesity and atheroscler osis could be two associated conditions evolving during the time to de velop cardiovascular disease or events.