Small arteries and hypertension.

AIM

To review current knowledge on the behaviour of small arteries in hypertension and when the blood pressure is lowered.

METHOD

Literature review.

CONCLUSIONS

The evidence available at present suggests that despite normalization of blood pressure, the flow reserve in small coronary arteries is not necessarily restored to normal. Therefore the risk of cardiac ischaemia may remain and this may explain the current failure to reduce all cardiac risk associated with hypertension despite effective antihypertensive treatment.