MENTAL STRESS-INDUCED ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION IS PREVENTED BY PHOSPHODIESTERASE-5 INHIBITION IN PATIENTS WITH RESISTANT HYPERTENSION

Behavioral determinants, such as psychosocial or mental stress (MS), may be related to the development of cardiovascular outcomes in patients with resistant hypertension (RH). However, the vascular mechanisms by which MS induces or aggravates cardiovascular diseases have not yet been fully elucidated. Studies in humans indicate that MS may be associated with a decrease in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, which is the main vasodilator substance synthesized by the endothelium. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that increased NO bioavailability, through phosphodiesterase-5 inhibition (iPDE5), attenuates the deleterious endothelial response to MS in RH patients.