The Response to the Administration of an Isotonic Sodium Chloride-Lactate Solution in Patients With Essential Hypertension

Many studies indicate that patients with es- sential hypertension have a greater natriuretic re- sponse to rapidly administered sodium chloride solutions than have normotensive individuals (1-7). However, in most instances other fac- tors known to influence the rate of sodium ex- cretion in the normal subject such as diet, pos- ture, and time of day have not been rigidly con- trolled (8, 9). Dietary control is of particular importance in view of observations suggesting that patients with hypertension may habitually ingest more salt than do normotensive individuals (10-11). If this is indeed the case it might well be responsible for the enhanced response of the hypertensive patient to administered salt.