The present study was carried out to estimate the erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity, an antioxidant enzyme and malondialdehyde (marker of lipid peroxidation) in Hypertensive subjects of different grades as per JNC 7th norms and to determine their relation with each other in essential hypertensive patients. In the present study, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity and malondialdehyde levels were measured in 90 hypertensive subjects (30-60 years), categorized into three groups as prehypertension, Stage I HT and Stage II HT, depending upon their blood pressure and statistically compared it with that of 30 healthy individual, served as control. Correlation analysis between aforesaid parameters was performed by using Pearson correlation test. Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity was found to be significantly low in each patient group as compared to control (P < 0.001) where as malondialdehyde levels were increased significantly in each patient group as compared to control (P < 0.001) along with subsequent increase in blood pressure. Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activities were also inversely correlated with MDA in essential hypertension patients. To prevent free radical damage, body has a defense system of antioxidants which are involved in the prevention of cellular damage – the common pathway for vascular ageing and a variety of cardio vascular complications. From our study, it was concluded that increased lipid peroxidation and reduced Glutathione peroxidase along with increase in blood pressure can be used as a marker for essential hypertension.

Glutathione peroxidase, malondialdehyde, oxidative stress, free radical