Oxidative stress in human hypertension: association with antihypertensive treatment, gender, nutrition, and lifestyle

Abstract

There is growing evidence that oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of hypertension. Our aim was to measure markers of oxidative stress in hypertensive subjects, and assess the potential confounding influences of antihypertensive therapy, other cardiovascular risk factors, gender, lifestyle, and nutrition. Markers of oxidative stress, including plasma and 24 h urinary F 2-isoprostanes, were measured in 70 untreated (men = 43, women = 27) and 85 treated (men = 43, women = 42) hypertensive subjects and 40 normotensive controls (men = 20, women = 20). Overall, F 2-isoprostanes were not elevated in hypertensive subjects compared with controls. However, urinary and plasma F 2-isoprostanes were significantly lower in treated compared with untreated hypertensive men, but not women. In hypertensive men, the number of antihypertensive drugs taken was inversely associated with both urinary and plasma F 2-isoprostanes ( p < .05). Self-reported alcohol intake and biomarkers of alcohol consumption (γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were positively associated with plasma but not urinary, F 2-isoprostanes in men. Several nutrients were independently associated with plasma and urinary F 2-isoprostanes in women. The results do not support the hypothesis that treated or untreated hypertensive subjects are under increased oxidative stress compared with normotensive controls.