Oxidative stress and vascular damage in hypertension

Oxidative stress, a state of excessive reactive oxidative species activity, is associated with Vascular disease states such as hypertension. In this r eview, we discuss the recent advances in the field of reactive oxidative sp ecies-mediated vascular damage in hypertension. These include the identific ation of redox-sensitive tyrosine kinases, the characterization of enzymati c sources of superoxide production in human blood vessels, and their relati onship with vascular damage in atherosclerosis and hypertension. Finally, r ecent developments in the search for strategies to attenuate vascular oxida tive stress are reviewed, Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens 10:247-255. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.