[Changes in the concentration of atrial hormone in hypertensive crises]

The paper presents concentrations of atrial sodium-uretic hormone (AH) in the plasma of hypertensive subjects during a hypertensive crisis and in stable blood pressure, in healthy subjects (12, 19 and 7 females, respectively). AH levels were the highest in hypertensives in the crisis. Mean AH concentrations in the crisis and short after the pressure normalization did not differ much. Mechanisms of these phenomena are discussed, relations between AH levels, clinical and hemodynamic characteristics of hypertensive crises are considered.