[Determination of the atrial natriuretic factor in patients with essential and renovascular hypertension]

We have measured the basal circulating level of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in hypertensive patients. Plasma ANF concentrations in 101 patients with mild untreated, essential hypertension and in 64 normotensive controls were 14.9 +/- 11.1 vs 11.9 +/- 7.7 pg/ml, p = NS respectively. Plasma ANF levels in the patients were correlated with mean arterial pressure (r = 0.35, p less than 0.001) and age (r = 0.38, p less than 0.001). Sixteen patients with uncontrolled hypertension despite treatment, had significantly higher plasma ANF levels (33.5 +/- 27.3 pg/ml, p less than 0.001). Forty other patients with hypertension were subjected to an abdominal aortography and a renal vein catheterism, in order to rule out renovascular hypertension. Of these subjects, 16 were without significant renal artery stenosis, 12 had left renovascular hypertension and 12 others right renovascular hypertension. Plasma ANF levels were maximal in the aorta and there were no differences between the ANF levels in the renal veins, whether the stenosis was on the right or left side. In conclusion, plasma ANF levels were not elevated in 101 untreated patients with mild essential hypertension. Together with the evidence of elevated intra atrial pressure in mild essential hypertension, as found by others, this suggests that ANF secretion might be impaired in this disease.