HEMOBYNAMICS, PLASMA CATECHOLAMINES AND PLASMA RENIN ACTIVITY IN OUTPATIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION

Abstract

In 145 outpatients with essential hypertension, the cardiac index correlated positively and the total peripheral resistance negatively with the age. The plasma volume was significantly increased in hypertensives over the age of 60 as compared with the normal volunteers. Although the plasma norepinephrine level increased with advancing age in normal volunteers, no significant correlation was observed between the these values in hypertensives. The plasma norepinephrine levels tended to be higher in the hypertensives than in normotensives among the subjects aged under 40. There was a negative semilogarithmic correlation between the basal plasma renin activity and the salt intake in hypertensives. The plasma norepinephrine levels were not different in subgroups of hypertensive patients with high, normal and low renin activity. The degree of plasma renin activity increased after furosemide injection and was negatively correlated with the salt intake as well as the age.