Cardiovascular system diseases are the most common causes of death in the world. As a result, cardiovascular drugs are the largest selling therapeutic category of pharmaceuticals in the world and generate revenues of over $40 billion each year. The most important quantifiable and reversible risk for cardiovascular disease is high blood pressure (hypertension). Antihypertensive products generate revenues exceeding $20 billion each year, representing over 50% of total sales within the world’s cardiovascular market. Stroke appears to be a direct consequence of high blood pressure itself.

However, much of the clinical problems associated with hypertension derive from the associated changes in blood vessels. This leads to either vascular remodeling that narrows the vessel opening, or to atherosclerosis (thickening or loss of elasticity in arteries) that damages large blood vessels and leads eventually to their occlusion (closing or blocking up). Chronic hypertension leading to vascular remodeling impairs target organ functions downstream from the narrowed vessels. This leads to structural alterations, functional changes, and abnormal signaling processes. Atherosclerosis, leading to vascular occlusion of the coronary, cerebral, renal and peripheral vessels, causes heart attacks and heart failure, stroke and dementia, kidney failure and peripheral vascular disease.