TABLE 1.

Disease-associated vascular abnormalities

In addition to hypertension, there are a number of diseases with abnormalities of the vasculature that contribute to patient morbidity and mortality. The vascular abnormality, possible mechanisms as well as therapies and potential new, novel targets for therapy are listed and discussed in detail in the text.

Disease	Abnormality	Possible Mechanisms	Treatments
Heart Failure	Resting Vasoconstriction,	Defect in NO/cGMP mediated vasodilatation; ?Decrease in LZ+ MYPT1	Vasodilators (ACE inhibitors, ARBs, hydralazine, nitrates)
	Decrease in sensitivity to NO
Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension	Pulmonary Vascular Vasoconstriction &	Proliferation of pulmonary SMCs, Defect in NO/cGMP mediated vasodilatation. ?Decrease in LZ+ MYPT1 and increase in NM myosin	Prostaglandins (Epoprostenol), Phosphodiesterase inhibitors (Sildenafil), Guanylate cyclase stimulators (Riocigaut), Endothelin antagonists (Bosentan), NO inhalation & Rho kinase inhibitors (Fasudil)
	Decrease in sensitivity to NO
Portal Hypertension	Sensitivity to vasodilators increased & to vasoconstrictors decreased	?Changes in isoform expression of contractile proteins which influence both smooth muscle activation and relaxation	Management of fluid status
Raynaud’s Phenomenon	Transient vasospasm of digital vessels	Altered reactivity of vascular smooth muscle	Keeping digits warm, CCBs
Pre-eclampsia/Pregnancy Induced Hypertension	Increase in vascular tone	Altered reactivity to RhoA, PKC & Ca2+, decrease NO	Antihypertensives (non-fetotoxic)