Plasma and urinary catecholamines and their metabolites were estimated in 18 patients with borderline hypertension (BH), 27 patients with established hypertension (EH) and 15 healthy subjects in basal conditions and after 20-min standing. Patients with EH differed from the remaining groups, showing decreased urinary excretion of noradrenaline (NA). In patients with BH, in comparison with controls, an augmented plasma NA in basal conditions as well as a more pronounced increment of plasma NA in response to upright posture was observed. Moreover, in BH increased urinary excretion of dopamine, homovanillic acid and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol has been found. In patients with BH the increase of diastolic blood pressure in response to upright posture was associated with an exaggerated increase of plasma NA and adrenaline. The results of the study show that patients with BH are characterized by sympathetic overactivity and suggest that in this type of hypertension this factor may play a role in response of blood pressure to physiological stimuli.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

[Prazosin in the treatment of arterial hypertension. Results of multicenter studies].

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Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

PubMed1981

Changes in the excretion of catecholamines and their metabolites in patients with essential hypertension during sodium intake restriction.

Excretion of noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (A), dopamine (DA) and their metabolites vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), methoxycatecholamines (MNA + MA) as well as 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG) was studied in 95 patients with essential hypertension and in 25 normal subjects on normal and low sodium diets. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to NA excretion under basal conditions. NA excretion was increased during sodium intake restriction, the highest values of this increase being found in patients whose basal NA excretion was diminished. At low sodium intake the high and the low NA excretors responded with significant increases of DA excretion. The mean excretion of VMA increased significantly on low sodium diet in all 3 groups of patients. The MNA + MA excretion decreased significantly during sodium intake restriction in patients with normal NA excretion. At low sodium intake the excretion of MHPG was highest in patients with low basal NA excretion. These data suggest that in patients with essential hypertension subjected to sodium restriction the excretion and metabolism of catecholamines are related to basal sympathetic activity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981