Published Online
on February 7, 2005

A more recent version of this article appeared on April 1, 2005

This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 45/4/766    most recent 01.HYP.0000154364.00763.d5v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Grim, C. E. Articles by Kotchen, T. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Grim, C. E. Articles by Kotchen, T. A. Related Collections Other hypertension Clinical Studies

Submitted on October 10, 2004
Revised on October 20, 2004

Hyperaldosteronism and Hypertension. Ethnic Differences

Clarence E. Grim; Allen W. Cowley Jr; Pavel Hamet; Daniel Gaudet; Mary L. Kaldunski; Jane Morley Kotchen; Shanthi Krishnaswami; Zdenka Pausova; Richard Roman; Johanne Tremblay; and Theodore A. Kotchen^*

From the Departments of Medicine (C.E.G., S.K., T.A.K.), Physiology (A.W.C., M.L.K., R.R.), and Epidemiology (J.M.K.), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and Centre Hospitalier (P.H., D.G., Z.P., J.T.), University of Montreal, Canada.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tkotchen{at}mcw.edu.

Abstract--The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between aldosterone and blood pressure in a total of 220 normotensive and 293 essential hypertensive subjects in 2 genetically distinct populations--blacks and white French Canadians. The 24-hour blood pressure monitoring was performed under standardized conditions after discontinuing antihypertensive medications. Plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone were measured in the supine position and after standing for 10 minutes. Plasma atrial natriuretic factor was also measured. Supine and standing plasma renin activities were lower (P0.01), plasma aldosterone was higher (P<0.0001), and the aldosterone/renin ratios were higher (P<0.0001) in the hypertensive subjects. Atrial natriuretic factor was also higher in the hypertensive subjects (P<0.0001). Among blacks, blood pressures did not correlate with plasma renin activity. However, both average daytime and nighttime systolic and diastolic blood pressures were correlated with supine and standing plasma aldosterone and with the aldosterone/renin ratio (P<0.005 or less). In French Canadians, blood pressures tended to be positively correlated with standing plasma renin activity and aldosterone, but not with the aldosterone/renin ratio. Correlations of blood pressure with aldosterone were more consistent and more striking in blacks than in French Canadians. In both ethnic groups, there were inconsistent correlations of blood pressure with atrial natriuretic factor. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that aldosterone-induced volume expansion is an important contributor to hypertension, especially in blacks.

Key words: aldosterone • blacks • blood pressure • hypertension • renin

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Sharp, R. Tapp, D. P. Francis, S. A. McG. Thom, A. D. Hughes, A. V. Stanton, A. Zambanini, N. Chaturvedi, S. Byrd, N. R. Poulter, et al. Ethnicity and Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Hypertension: An ASCOT (Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial) Substudy J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., September 16, 2008; 52(12): 1015 - 1021. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. W. Krug and M. Ehrhart-Bornstein Aldosterone and Metabolic Syndrome: Is Increased Aldosterone in Metabolic Syndrome Patients an Additional Risk Factor? Hypertension, May 1, 2008; 51(5): 1252 - 1258. [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Colussi, C. Catena, R. Lapenna, E. Nadalini, A. Chiuch, and L. A. Sechi Insulin Resistance and Hyperinsulinemia Are Related to Plasma Aldosterone Levels in Hypertensive Patients Diabetes Care, September 1, 2007; 30(9): 2349 - 2354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Jones, T. C. Dowling, J.-J. Park, D. A. Phares, J.-Y. Park, T. O. Obisesan, and M. D. Brown Human, Environmental & Exercise: Differential aerobic exercise-induced changes in plasma aldosterone between African Americans and Caucasians Exp Physiol, September 1, 2007; 92(5): 871 - 879. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. E. Umpierrez, P. Cantey, D. Smiley, A. Palacio, D. Temponi, K. Luster, and A. Chapman Primary Aldosteronism in Diabetic Subjects With Resistant Hypertension Diabetes Care, July 1, 2007; 30(7): 1699 - 1703. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Kidambi, J. M. Kotchen, C. E. Grim, H. Raff, J. Mao, R. J. Singh, and T. A. Kotchen Association of Adrenal Steroids With Hypertension and the Metabolic Syndrome in Blacks Hypertension, March 1, 2007; 49(3): 704 - 711. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A. Calhoun Aldosterone and Cardiovascular Disease: Smoke and Fire Circulation, December 12, 2006; 114(24): 2572 - 2574. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A. Calhoun Aldosteronism and Hypertension Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., September 1, 2006; 1(5): 1039 - 1045. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Bochud, J. Nussberger, P. Bovet, M. R. Maillard, R. C. Elston, F. Paccaud, C. Shamlaye, and M. Burnier Plasma Aldosterone Is Independently Associated With the Metabolic Syndrome Hypertension, August 1, 2006; 48(2): 239 - 245. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. D. Spence Letter to the Editor: Individualized Therapy for Hypertension Hypertension, March 1, 2006; 47(3): e11 - e11. [Full Text] [PDF]