Pathophysiologic Features of Hypertension in Young Men

Abstract

Physiologic studies were performed in 17 normotehsive and 13 borderline hypertensive young male subjects, and repeated in 11 and 10 subjects, respectively, after two years. The criteria for normal blood pressure (systolic 120 mm Hg) and borderline hypertension (systolic 140 to 160 mm Hg) had been applied after a long introductory period of observation; nevertheless, the borderline hypertensive group turned out to be normotensive at the time of the second physiologic investigation. The main physiologic characteristics of the group with transient hypertension were overweight, increased total systemic vascular resistance, slightly decreased plasma and blood volume, slightly decreased plasma renin and noradrenaline levels, and significantly increased renal blood flow. Both overweight, increased vascular resistance, and increased renal blood flow persisted after normalization of blood pressure. A unifying concept is lacking. Physiologic studies were performed in 17 normotehsive and 13 borderline hypertensive young male subjects, and repeated in 11 and 10 subjects, respectively, after two years. The criteria for normal blood pressure (systolic 120 mm Hg) and borderline hypertension (systolic 140 to 160 mm Hg) had been applied after a long introductory period of observation; nevertheless, the borderline hypertensive group turned out to be normotensive at the time of the second physiologic investigation. The main physiologic characteristics of the group with transient hypertension were overweight, increased total systemic vascular resistance, slightly decreased plasma and blood volume, slightly decreased plasma renin and noradrenaline levels, and significantly increased renal blood flow. Both overweight, increased vascular resistance, and increased renal blood flow persisted after normalization of blood pressure. A unifying concept is lacking.