Telomeres: the time factor in essential hypertension.

Essential hypertension, particularly systolic hypertension, can be characterized as a disorder of aging. The diverse expressions of this disorder represent the interactions of a genetic script, the environment, chance, and a temporal factor. The temporal factor, namely the telomeres, is biological, intrinsic, and dynamic. Telomere length is heritable, is inversely related to pulse pressure, and can be modified by reactive oxygen species. The incorporation of a temporal factor into models of essential hypertension may provide a heretofore missing link explaining variations in age-dependent increase in pulse pressure.