[Arterial hypertension in patients with alcoholic abstinence syndrome and delirium]

Arterial pressure, fear and anxiety affects, urinary excretion of catecholamines and plasma renin activity, central hemodynamics were studied in 134 subjects with alcoholic abstinence syndrome and delirium. The above syndrome and delirium were associated with arterial hypertension termed "reactive". Reactive hypertension declined 1-2 days after the patients' getting out of the acute stage of the affects. It can be considered as a manifestation of stress-response in pathogenesis of which an essential role may be played by plasma catecholamines and renin elevation. Hemodynamically, such hypertension is hyperkinetic with a tendency to high total peripheral resistance. Correlations were not found between the degree of the reactive hypertension and severity of the fear and anxiety affects. There was a weak correlation between the affects and heart beat. Apart from reactive hypertension, alcoholism is a promotor of essential hypertension.