Urinary Aldosterone and Hypertension

Abstract

A 44-year-old man with severe hypertension, hypertensive retinopathy, hypertensive encephalopathy and loss of renal concentrating power was observed to have hyperaldosteronuria. Dietary Na restriction revealed a renal Na-losing tendency. Intensive therapy designed to reduce blood pressure was followed by improvement in eye grounds, return of renal concentrating power, improved renal Na retaining power and decreased urinary aldosterone secretion. It is suggested that the hyperaldosteronuria of some hypertensive patients is a manifestation of an aldosterone-compensated renal Na-losing tendency.