ABSTRACT
In hypertensive animals, most classes of antihyperten-
sive drugs [e.g., calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-
converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, AT1 receptor
antagonists] improve endothelium-dependent vasodilation.
Surprisingly, in patients with arterial hypertension, anti-
hypertensive therapy does not consistently restore impaired
endothelium-dependent vasodilation. However, depending
on the antihypertensive drug used and its pharma-
cological profile, the delicate balance of endothelium-
derived factors, which is disturbed in hypertension, can be
restored by specific antihypertensive and antioxidant
treatment.
