| EDITORIAL | 8 |
| CARDIOVASCULAR TOPICS | 9 |
| The vascular endothelium masks the persistent inhibition of rat thoracic arterial tone induced by S-nitrosoglutathione | 9 |
| The variability of baroreflex sensitivity in juvenile, spontaneously hypertensive rats | 16 |
| Smoking and vascular dysfunction in Africans and Caucasians from South Africa | 20 |
| Obesity-associated genetic variants in young Asian Indians with the metabolic syndrome and myocardial infarction | 27 |
| Maternal deaths associated with hypertension in South Africa: lessons to learn from the Saving Mothers report, 2005–2007 | 33 |
| CASE REPORTS | 38 |
| LETTER TO THE EDITOR | 39 |
| REVIEW ARTICLE | 40 |
| OPINIONS IN HYPERTENSION MANAGEMENT | 47 |
| INDUSTRY NEWS | 50 |
| DRUG TRENDS | 52 |
| South African experts comment on FDA approval of dabigatran in atrial fibrillation | 52 |
| ASCOT analysis with atorvastatin shows limits of CRP as indicator of cardiovascular risk | 53 |
| Chronic heart failure treatment benefits from pro-BNP-directed therapy | 54 |
| Fenofibrate profiled as the fibrate with additional new data, supporting its use with statins in the European Medicines Agency recommendations | 57 |
| CARDIO NEWS | 57 |