**Abstract**

Red blood cells (RBCs) moving in circulation are continuously exposed to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are circulating within the vascular system of body. The objective of the study is to determine the erythrocyte zeta potential and its morphological changes caused by oxidative stress in hypertensive patients in relation to the risk of development of cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction). In this retrospective study, we investigated 186 samples, which include hypertension patients (n = 64), myocardial infarction patients (n = 52), treated myocardial infarction patients (n = 20), and normal healthy volunteers (n = 50). Morphological and electrochemical characteristics of RBCs in patients were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and zeta potential study. These parameters were also statistically analyzed applying one way ANNOVA (Tukey's comparison) using Graph Pad. Statistical analyses of data showed that Hypertensive (ZP-16.06 mV) and cardiac patients (ZP-9.94 mV) RBCs possessed significantly reduced zeta potential relative to that of RBCs from healthy individuals (ZP-23.39 mV) (P-value <0.0001). Microscopic imaging of Hypertensive RBCs revealed increased anisocytes and poikilocytes. These parameters were found exacerbated in patients suffering from Myocardial infarction. Hence, it can be concluded that ZP can be used as an effective diagnostic tool for detection of hypertension associated cardiovascular disorder risk.

**Keywords:** red blood cells (RBCs), zeta potential, erythrocyte fragility, lipid peroxidation, hypertension, myocardial infarction
