[Endocrine disorders in patients with essential hypertension].

Patients with so-called essential hypertension are heterogenous concerning the behaviour of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. They may display low, normal or high plasma renin activity. In a certain number of patients other hormonal abnormalities can also be deomonstrated. Among these abnormalities the following are to be mentioned: elevated aldosteronaemia, decreased metabolic clearance of aldosterone, lack of suppressibility of aldosteronaemia and plasma renin activity after salt load, elevated plasma level of 18-OH-DOC and progesterone. Only in some patients with essential hypertension disturbances of the metabolism of catecholamines can be stated. This could indicate, that altered activity of the sympathetic nervous system may be a pathogenetic factor in the development of essential hypertension only in some of the patients. The role of prostaglandins in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension is not yet proved.