Antihypertensive treatment and regression of atherosclerosis.

Reduction of high blood pressure has an effect on coronary mortality and morbidity lower than expected. One of the possible explanations is the different anti-atherogenic capacity of anti-hypertensive drugs. Reduction of high blood pressure has, by itself, an anti-atherogenic effect, but, for some anti-hypertensive drugs, there is experimental and clinical evidence of anti-atherogenic properties. For calcium antagonists experimental data have been published reporting reduction of aortic lipidic deposition and decrease of arterial proliferation. The INTACT trial has shown that the development of new atherosclerotic lesions was delayed by nifedipine. For beta-blockers, in spite of the negative effect on atherogenic fractions, the experimental evidence, so far collected, suggests a possible anti-atherogenic effect. ACE inhibitors have been experimentally studied and its anti-atherogenic effect reported on studies with the WHHR rabbit and cynomolgus monkey. The different possible mechanisms for these anti-atherogenic properties are analysed. Ketanserine is a serotonin antagonist witch anti-atherogenic capacity is under investigation on the PACK trial. The results that were published so far seem to confirm that capacity.