| dc.description | In the present study the upper reference limits (URLs) for resting plasma norepinephrine, epinephrine, serum aldosterone, plasma renin activity, aldosterone/ renin activity ratio, as well as urinary vanillylmandelic acid in healthy Egyptian normotensive subjects over a range of ages (5-60 yr) were established. There was a significant age effect on plasma norepinephrine, UVMA, serum aldosterone and PRA, whereas a single URL for plasma epinephrine level is satisfactory. In uncomplicated untreated essential hypertensive subjects (5-60 yr), the average prevalence of elevation in the plasma norepinephrine, epinephrine and urinary vanillylmandelic acid above their corresponding URLs was 85.10,62.15 and 83.20 %, respectively. This suggests that elevation in plasma catecholamine concentrations is more likely a common consequence than playing a possible role in the pathogenesis of hypertension, supported by insignificant correlation coefficients between the plasma catecholamine levels and resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure values (SBP&DBP) in all hypertensive age groups. Primary hyperaldosteronism was not detected among the normokalemic essential hypertensives at any age using aldosterone /plasma renin activity ratio as a primary screening method. In the present study, 7 statistically significant positive coefficient correlations are reported for SBP or DBP values with UVMA levels in hypertensive children and adolescents, serum aldosterone in old hypertensives, and PRA in adult hypertensives. | |
