title: New risk factors for atherosclerosis in hypertension: focus on the prothrombotic state and lipoprotein(a).
abstract: Although adequate control of blood pressure is of basic importance in cardiovascular prevention in hypertensive patients, correction of additional risk factors is an integral part of their management. In addition to classical risk factors, epidemiological research has identified a number of other conditions that might significantly contribute to cardiovascular risk in the general population and might achieve specific relevance in patients with high blood pressure. In fact, more than 20% of patients with premature cardiovascular events do not have any of the traditional risk factors and, although effective intervention on blood pressure and additional risk factors has significantly reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, the contribution to stroke, coronary artery disease and renal failure is still unacceptably high. Evaluation of new risk factors may further expand our capacity to predict atherothrombotic events when these factors are included along with the traditional ones in the assessment of global cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients. Because it could be anticipated that the role of these novel factors will become increasingly evident in the future, researchers with an interest in hypertension and physicians dealing with problems related to cardiovascular prevention should give them appropriate consideration. This review summarizes the basic biology and clinical evidence of two emerging risk factors that are reciprocally related and contribute to the development and progression of organ damage in hypertension: the prothrombotic state and lipoprotein(a).
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Hypertension Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Pathology and Medicine, University of Udine, Piazzale S. Maria della Misericordia, 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catena
authors.forename: Marileda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novello
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lapenna
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baroselli
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colussi
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nadalini
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Favret
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavarape
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soardo
authors.forename: Leonardo A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sechi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000502:physiology; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); C036309:fibrin fragment D; D011516:Prothrombin; D005340:Fibrinogen