Balance of noradrenaline and sodium during chronic beta-receptor blockade in patients with essential hypertension
Lang, R.
Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie Suppl: 67-75
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-9780 PMID: 6106459 Document Number: 160450
The antihypertensive action of chronic beta-blockade, with simultaneous reduction of beta-receptor activity at the medullary, cardiac and renal levels, is complex. An integrated explanation is offered by stressing the importance of the whole-body balance between sodium and noradrenaline. Evidence was provided in an eleven week lasting study in patients with essential hypertension, where chronic beta-blockade was performed by increasing doses of Pindolol (10--20 mg/die). While urinary sodium and noradrenaline showed only small changes, the correlation between blood pressure and the sodium/noradrenaline quotient reversed significantly. The altered correlation is interpreted as the common result of the different hypotensive actions of chronic beta-blockade, with special regard to the renal component. Thus, pressure normalisation in essential hypertension during chronic beta-blockade is achieved by an adjustment of the imbalance between whole-body sodium and whole-body noradrenaline.