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Pro-inflammatory Cytokines and Resistant Hypertension: Potential for Novel Treatments?

  • Antihypertensive Agents: Mechanisms of Drug Action (ME Ernst, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

To gather data from studies evaluating the pro-inflammatory profile of individuals with resistant hypertension (RH), and bring a clinical update of new and potential complementary therapies to treat inflammation in RH.

Recent Findings

Increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines are related to elevated blood pressure and target organ damage in RH patients. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that some biological therapies, especially TNF-α inhibitors, regulated pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines associated with improvements in clinical outcomes, although they are not yet reported in RH.

Summary

New emerging therapies to treat inflammation in RH, although promising, are still hypotheses that have not been scientifically confirmed in clinical trials. For this reason, inflammation-target treatments, such as the TNF-α and IL-6 inhibitors, should be encouraged for testing as complementary therapies in RH in order to elucidate their potential benefits.

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Acknowledgments

Mariana Rodrigues Pioli acknowledges the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), Brazil.

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  1. Department of Pharmacology, FCM 10 Building, School of Medical Sciences - University of Campinas (FCM-UNICAMP), Tessália Vieira de Camargo, 126, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil

    Mariana Rodrigues Pioli & Ana Paula de Faria

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  1. Mariana Rodrigues Pioli
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Correspondence to Ana Paula de Faria.

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Pioli, M.R., de Faria, A.P. Pro-inflammatory Cytokines and Resistant Hypertension: Potential for Novel Treatments?. Curr Hypertens Rep 21, 95 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-019-1003-2

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