Natriuretic response to saline infusion in normotensive and hypertensive man. The role of renin suppression in exaggerated natriuresis.

Previous studies have reported an exaggerated natriuresis in hypertensive man; however, a systematic appraisal of this response in various forms of hypertension has not been made. We measured fractional excretion of sodium (FENa) during a four hour intravenous infusion of 2 liters normal saline in 162 normal subjects and 120 hypertensives. Of these, 13 had primary aldosteronism (ALDO), 19 high renin (HRH), 30 low renin (LRH), and 57 normal renin (NRH) essential hypertension. FENa for normals (1.42%), NRH (1.57%), and HRH (1.46%) was similar. That for LRH (2.56%) and ALDO (4.18%) was elevated compared to the other three subgroups (P less than 0.001). Although the four hour FENa during saline infusion was associated with mean atrterial blood pressure (MABP) within the entire hypertensive population (r = 0.51), when the subgroups of the hypertensive patients were considered separately no association between FENa and MABP was identified. Moreover, the MABP of subjects with HRH was greater (P less than 0.05) than in those with NRH, although the FENa of the two subgroups was similar. Patients with ALDO and LRH have a greater natriuretic response to a salt load than do other subgroups of essential hypertension or normal subjects. The exaggerated natriuresis appears to be a feature of hypertension with renin suppression. The degree of exaggerated natriuresis in not solely a function of an elevated mean arterial blood pressure.