[Heart-kidney-adrenal triangle interactions]

The heart-kidney-adrenal theme at the 42(nd) Journées Internationales d'Endocrinologie Clinique - Henri-Pierre Klotz held in Paris in April 1999 was chosen for at least two reasons. First, cardiovascular signs and symptoms are part of the most important and frequent endocrinopathies whose course is often characterized by cardiovascular complications. Secondly, the treatment of hypertension, heart failure and vascular nephropathies, as well as the prevention of atherosclerosis, call for homonal treatment or therapeutic intervention with agents acting upon endocrine systems that regulate cardiac, renal and vascular functions. The endocrinology specialist should therefore have full knowledge of the latest progress in the fields of the physiological and pathophysiological function of these systems, of the cellular mode of action of the hormones targeting the vardiovascular system, their genesis in classical endocrine organs, and also their local formation and action in tissues. Finally, it is important to be aware of the new therapeutic approaches opened by these recent developments.