Low renin essential hypertension: failure to demonstrate excess 11-deoxycorticosterone production

11-Deoxycorticosterone (DOC) was determined by specific RIA in 27 normal subjects and in 25 normal renin and 23 low renin hypertensives. None of the patients exhibited unprovoked hypokalemia. Strict criteria were employed for renin profiling the hypertensive patients, including age matching, exclusion of diabetics, and the use of medications known to interfere with the renin response or with DOC measurements. In all 3 groups, comparable DOC levels were found in plasma and urine. In contrast, DOC was elevated in 7 of 19 patients with primary aldosteronism. These results do not support a DOC excess hypothesis for the syndrome of low renin essential hypertension.