Ethnicity and Hypertension-Related Target Organ Damage

Arterial hypertension-related morbidity and mortality is mainly caused by target organ damage, which mediates clinical events. Although one of the main drivers leading to the development and the progression of target organ damage is represented by the increased mechanical load imposed by hypertension on the different tissues and organs, many other factors play a role modulating its deleterious effects. A comparable blood pressure-related mechanical load may be associated with a different type and extent of target organ damage due to profound yet poorly understood differences that are related to genotype, phenotype, as well as environmental factors. The observation of a different impact of arterial hypertension in the different populations and ethnicities offers the possibility of a better understanding of hypertension-related damage as well as of a more personalized approach to diagnosis and treatment.