Role of the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System beyond Blood Pressure Regulation: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Involved in End Organ Damage during Arterial Hypertension
Arterial hypertension is a common condition worldwide and an important predictor of several complicated diseases. Arterial hypertension can be triggered by many factors, including physiological, genetic, and lifestyle causes. Specifically, molecules of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system not only play important roles in the control of blood pressure, but they are also associated with the genesis of arterial hypertension, thus constituting a need for pharmacological interventions. Chronic high pressure generates mechanical damage along the vascular system, heart, and kidneys, which are the principal organs affected in this condition. In addition to mechanical stress, hypertension induced oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and the activation of reparative mechanisms lead to end organ damage, mainly due to fibrosis. Clinical trials have demonstrated that renin angiotensin aldosterone system intervention in hypertensive patients lowers morbidity/mortality and inflammatory marker levels as compared to placebo patients, evidencing that this system controls more than blood pressure. This review emphasizes the detrimental effects that a renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) imbalance has on health considerations above and beyond high blood pressure, such as fibrotic end organ damage.
International journal of molecular sciences