title: [Blood pressure independent effects of antihypertensive agents].
abstract: Antihypertensive medications belong to different pharmacological classes. Besides blood pressure lowering properties, many substances, particularly ACE inhibitors and AT1-receptor antagonists but also in part calcium antagonists and aldosterone receptor antagonists, exert additional anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects as well as protective effects on endothelium. Delay of disease progression in chronic kidney disorders by inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system also as the result of blood pressure independent effects has been documented in clinical trials. On the other hand, in patients with essential hypertension without end-organ damage, it remains unclear whether the clinically proven blood pressure independent effects of antihypertensive agents are also clinically relevant. However, in clinical studies ACE inhibitors and AT1-receptor antagonists reduce the de novo occurrence of the diabetic metabolic state. Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system decreases the incidence of diabetic nephropathy. This contribution presents currently available data on possible blood pressure independent effects of antihypertensive agents.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik IV, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents