Changes in hormonal activities relative to the severity of essential hypertension

Dietary electrolytes and hypertension in the elderly

The effect of age on older hypertensive patient's blood pressure response to increased sodium intake is well known. Salt sensitivity which does increase with age and the decrease in renal function limiting the ability of aged kidney to excrete sodium load are major factors, responsible for rise in blood pressure during Na consumption in the elderly. Clinical studies encourage salt reduction with and without weight loss. Although potassium consumption is highly recommended, one should be aware of potassium overload in the elderly.

Changes in endocrine activities relative to obesity in patients with essential hypertension

The possible role of obesity in the development of hypertension was investigated in two study groups. In a population study of 961 subjects, 739 were found to be normotensive and 222 hypertensive. The prevalence of hypertension was 18.7 percent in the nonobese, and 33.2 percent in the obese subjects. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased progressively with the increase of relative body weight in both normotensive and hypertensive subjects. In addition, an endocrinologic study was made of 97 patients with essential hypertension; in 82, plasma renin activity (PRA) was inversely correlated with the increase of relative body weight but not with urinary Na excretion. Despite this decrease of PRA, the level of serum aldosterone was not influenced by relative body weight. Thus, the aldosterone/PRA ratio ratio increased progressively with the increase of relative body weight. Thiazide therapy normalized this inappropriately high ratio, and reduced body weight and blood pressure. Restriction of dietary calories and salt intake had a similar effect. With a high-salt intake in an obese subject, the aldosterone/PRA ratio is unduly increased. Apparently aldosterone contributes to the additional retention of sodium and water and thereby promotes hypertension in the presence of an expanded fluid volume.

Age-related changes in endocrine and renal function in patients with essential hypertension

Endocrine and renal functions were studied in 149 patients with essential hypertension by measuring plasma electrolytes, renin activity, creatinine and aldoserone, as well as the urinary excretion of creatinine and sodium chloride, before and during treatment for hypertension. Half of the patients responded to trichlormethiazide (thiazide-responsive group) but the other half did not (thiazide-unresponsive group). Systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased progressively uith age in the thiazide-unresponsive group, but were lower and did not progress with age in the thiazide-responsive group. There was no consistent difference in plasma renin activity between the thiazide-responsive and the thiazide-unresponsive groups. The fluctuation of plasma renin activity in response to an excess of sodium chloride or to thiazide treatment was reduced progressively with age. Creatinine clearance decreased and the blood urea nitrogen level increased with age. The age-related decrease of plasma renin activity is discussed on the light of the age-related impairment in the ability of the kidney to excrete sodium and water.