Blood Levels of Angiotensinogen and Hypertension in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: Angiotensinogen is the proximal precursor of the angiotensin peptide hormones of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Clinical trials are ongoing targeting angiotensinogen for the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. The epidemiology of angiotensinogen is not well defined, particularly its relationship to ethnicity, sex, and blood pressure (BP)/hypertension.

Angiotensinogen: More Than its Downstream Products: Evidence From Population Studies and Novel Therapeutics.

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is a well-defined pathway playing a key role in maintaining circulatory homeostasis. Abnormal activation of RAAS contributes to development of cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, cardiac hypertrophy, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. Although several key RAAS enzymes and peptide hormones have been thoroughly investigated, the role of angiotensinogen-the precursor substrate of the RAAS pathway-remains less understood.