Telomeres and arterial hypertension: Pathophysiology and clinical perspectives

The ageing is the main risk factor for arterial hypertension (AH) and cardiovascular diseases. Natural ageing with normal BP is followed by changes in large arteries (rigidity), myocardium (hypertrophy) and diastolic relaxation and filling of cardiac muscle (diastolic dysfunstion). In AH these changes develop earlier and progress faster. These can be found at any age in AH. The telomere length (TL) — a special terminal structures on somatic cells chromosomes — is dependent on the age and is being shortened with age. This review concerns modern views on the role of telomeres as biological markers of ageing to understand the pathophysiology of essential arterial hypertension as a syndrome of accelerated cardiovascular system ageing.