Published Online
on July 8, 2002

A more recent version of this article appeared on September 1, 2002

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Submitted on April 15, 2002
Revised on May 2, 2002

Chronology Versus Biology. Telomeres, Essential Hypertension, and Vascular Aging

Abraham Aviv^*

From the Hypertension Research Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: avivab{at}umdnj.edu.

Abstract—There is considerable evidence that essential hypertension is closely linked to the growth, development, and aging of human beings. It is imperative, therefore, to introduce biological indicators of growth and aging into models developed to provide a better understanding of the etiology of essential hypertension. One of these indicators may well be the age-dependent telomere attrition rate in somatic cells. Telomere attrition registers the replicative history of somatic cells. As such, it chronicles not only the growth that results from the replication of somatic cells but also their turnover—a process that is strongly linked to inflammation and oxidative stress, which are key factors in the biology of human aging.

Key words: hypertension, essential • aging • genetics • oxidative stress • cardiovascular diseases

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