Hypertension in primary chronic glomerulonephritis analysis of 359 cases

The incidence of hypertension was evaluated in 359 patients with primary chronic glomerulonephritis who underwent renal biopsy. It was compared to a control group of 7,468 subjects who were obtained from an epidemiologic study performed in the same area at the same period. The prevalence of hypertension was 42%. On the basis of multiple regression analysis, the level of blood pressure was shown to be positively correlated to four independent variables: age, body mass index, degree of renal insufficiency and presence of proliferative glomerulonephritis. It was concluded that, although renal insufficiency increases the incidence of hypertension, proliferative lesions play an important contributive role in the development of hypertension.