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Age- and sex-related differences in plasma aldosterone in essential hypertension. Relationship to plasma renin activity

Alters- und Geschlechts-Unterschiede in der Plasmaaldosteronkonzentration bei essentieller Hypertonie. Beziehung zur Plasmareninaktivität

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Zusammenfassung

Bei Patienten mit essentieller Hypertonie fiel sowohl die basale als auch die stimulierte Plasmareninaktivität (2 h aktive Orthostase +40 mg Furosemid intravenös) mit zunehmendem Lebensalter kontinuierlich ab. Signifikante Unterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen fanden sich nicht.

Die mittlere basale Plasmaaldosteronkonzentration zeigte bei weiblichen Patienten keine altersabhängigen Veränderungen, während bei männlichen Patienten ein leichter Anstieg festgestellt werden konnte. Allerdings ergaben sich hier keine signifikanten Geschlechtsunterschiede in den vergleichbaren Altersgruppen. Die mittlere stimulierte Plasmaaldosteronkonzentration zeigte bei Frauen mit zunehmendem Alter ein der Plasmareninaktivität paralleles Verhalten, während dies bei Männern weit weniger ausgeprägt war; so fand sich bei männlichen Patienten nur ein geringer Abfall der mittleren stimulierten Plasmaaldosteronkonzentration mit dem Alter und die Aldosteronspiegel waren in den jüngeren Altersgruppen (<40 Jahre) signifikant niedriger als bei weiblichen Patienten.

Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß bei Patienten mit essentieller Hypertonie mit zunehmendem Lebensalter eine Dissoziation zwischen Plasmaaldosteron und Plasmareninaktivität auftritt, wobei dieser Befund bei Männern deutlicher ausgeprägt ist als bei Frauen.

Summary

In essential hypertension mean basal (supine) and stimulated plasma renin activity (2 h upright posture +40 mg furosemide intraveneously) decreased progressively with age. No significant differences were observed in renin levels between male and female patients.

With increasing age mean basal (supine) plasma aldosterone remained almost unchanged in females, whereas in males a slight increase was found. However, in the comparable age-groups no significant sexrelated differences were obtained. In female patients changes in mean stimulated plasma aldosterone with increasing age paralleled those of plasma renin activity, whereas in males this relationship was less obvious: only a slight age-related decline in stimulated aldosterone levels was observed and significantly lower plasma aldosterone concentrations in male than in female hypertensives of the younger age-groups (<40 years) were found.

The results indicate that in essential hypertension with increasing age dissociation between plasma aldosterone and plasma renin activity occurred. Furthermore, the described alterations in adrenal aldosterone release are more pronounced in male than in female patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Poliklinik, University of Bonn, Germany

    H. Vetter, K. Glänzer, I. Alasso & W. Vetter

  2. Department of Medicine, Kantonsspital, University of Zürich, Switzerland

    H. Vetter, K. Glänzer, I. Alasso & W. Vetter

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  2. K. Glänzer
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  3. I. Alasso
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Vetter, H., Glänzer, K., Alasso, I. et al. Age- and sex-related differences in plasma aldosterone in essential hypertension. Relationship to plasma renin activity. Klin Wochenschr 57, 445–449 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01477497

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01477497

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