MicroRNAs Are Involved in End-Organ Damage During Hypertension

Even in the new millennium, arterial hypertension remains a serious condition, with considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Crucial in managing the disease is not only lowering arterial blood pressure but also preventing or treating the typical end-organ damage caused by long-lasting and inadequately treated hypertension. In the past decade, it has been shown that microRNAs (miRs) are involved in several hypertension-related pathologies, such as cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, hypertensive heart failure, renal fibrosis, kidney failure, and, to a lesser extent, eye disease and hemorrhagic stroke. Whereas others extensively reviewed the role of miRs in atherosclerosis and vascular disease, this review focuses on their role in target organ damage during arterial hypertension. We emphasize the involvement of miRs in pathological end-organ remodeling processes and try to demonstrate some common miR signatures in distinct end organs. Hence, we aimed to provide proof of arterial hypertension being a systemic disease, similar to diabetes mellitus or metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, miRs that act on one particular process in different end organs are interesting therapeutic targets. Some future perspectives in miR research are highlighted with respect to novel therapeutic strategies in the cardiovascular field. (Hypertension. 2012;60:1088-1093.