Premenopausal women have increased risk of hypertensive target organ damage compared with men of similar age.

Background: The impact of high blood pressure (BP) on target organs (TO) in premenopausal women is not well known. The purpose of this study was to describe gender differences in TO involvement in a cohort of young-to-middle-aged subjects screened for stage 1 hypertension and followed for 8.2 years.

Resting heart rate as a predictor of body weight gain in the early stage of hypertension.

We did a prospective study to investigate whether clinic heart rate (HR) and 24-h ambulatory HR were independent predictors of subsequent increase in body weight (BW) in young subjects screened for stage 1 hypertension. The study was conducted in 1,008 subjects from the Hypertension and Ambulatory Recording Venetia Study (HARVEST) followed for an average of 7 years. Ambulatory HR was obtained in 701 subjects.

ACE2 and angiotensin 1-7 are increased in a human model of cardiovascular hyporeactivity: pathophysiological implications.

Background: ACE and ACE2 produce angiotensin II (Ang II), a vasopressor that induces cardiovascular remodeling, and Ang 1-7, a vasodilator with an antiremodeling effect. While Ang 1-7 has antiarrhythmic properties, at higher concentration it may induce ventricular tachycardia and sudden death. ACE2, therefore, may play an essential role in blood pressure homeostasis, in the long-term complications of hypertension (cardiovascular remodeling), and in the induction of cardiac electric abnormalities.

Diet and the kidney.

This is a short synopsis of the importance of nutrition and disease, which is especially centered on the achievements concerning renal diseases. With regard to renal nutrition, the paper analyzes the contributions of Beale, Peters and van Slyke, Addis, and Borst, and discusses the advent of the Giordano-Giovannetti diet and its modifications.

Angiotensin II signaling via type 2 receptors in a human model of vascular hyporeactivity: implications for hypertension.

Objective: Angiotensin II (Ang II) signaling via type 1 receptor (AT1R) has been extensively characterized, whereas Ang II signaling via type 2 receptors (AT2R), although counteracts actions mediated by AT1R, is still not completely understood. Bartter's/Gitelman's patients (BS/GS) have intrinsically blunted AT1R signaling, making them a good model to examine Ang II signaling via AT2R with particular emphasis on mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP-1) that interacts with the Ang II-stimulated ERK pathway of cell signaling.

Methods: BS/GS and healthy controls fibroblasts AT1R and AT2R level and the time course of Ang II's effect on MKP-1 levels and ERK1/2 phosphorylation over 1-h time course were assessed by western blot.