Open AccessAtrial natriuretic factor in essential hypertension: Echocardiographic and humoral correlates
Author(s) -
Lucarini Alessandra R.,
Favilla Stefania,
Marini Cecilia,
Lattanzi Fabio,
Urbani Michelangelo P.,
Salvetti Antonio
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
clinical cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.263
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1932-8737
pISSN - 0160-9289
DOI - 10.1002/clc.4960150509
Subject(s) - medicine , essential hypertension , plasma renin activity , aldosterone , supine position , left ventricular hypertrophy , endocrinology , blood pressure , cardiology , renin–angiotensin system , atrial natriuretic peptide , muscle hypertrophy
Aim of this study was to assess the relationship between plasma concentration of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and its two‐dimensional echocardiographic (left ventricular mass, left atrium diameter) and humoral (plasma renin and aldosterone) variables in essential hypertension (EH). We evaluated 32 patients with uncomplicated mild to moderate EH and 10 controls. They were studied in the supine position after 7 days of constant dietary sodium intake and were off therapy since at least 3 weeks. ANF values overlapped between EH patients and controls (27.8 ±11.5 vs. 19.5 ±7.4 pg/ml, p=NS). In EH, no significant correlation was found between ANF values and left ventricular mass (r=0.29), left atrial diameter (r=0.04), mean arterial blood pressure (r=0.26), plasma renin activity (r=0.00), and aldosterone (r=0.26). In EH, ANF values overlapped between the 15 patients with hypertrophy and the 17 patients with normal ventricular mass: 30.3 ± 17 vs. 25.6± 10.6 pg/ms (p = NS). We conclude that there is a substantial overlap in plasma ANF values between mild to moderate uncomplicated EH and controls, and left ventricular hypertrophy is not a major independent stimulus to ANF release in EH.