ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Arterial hypertension is a very complex disease [1]. Its pathophysiology is characterized by the integrated intervention of multiple factors, leading to a substantial and persistent increase of blood pressure (BP) levels and higher susceptibility to develop organ damage, including left ventricular hypertrophy, carotid or peripheral atherosclerosis, albuminuria or renal impairment, and overt cardiovascular and renal complications, including myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure, and end-stage renal disease [2]. Mostly, high BP levels lead to substantially higher risk of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality compared to normal BP [2]. BP reduction is, in contrast, paralleled by a marked reduction of fatal and nonfatal outcomes, independent of age, gender, ethnicity, and cardiovascular risk profile [3,4].
