[Effects of active postural inhibition on circulating levels of atrial natriuretic peptide in young hypertensive and normotensive subjects in the presence or absence of positive family history of essential arterial hypertension].

The effect of active changes in posture, from recumbency to up-right position (60 min) on the circulating levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were studied in 52 hypertensive patients, in 30 healthy human subjects and in 24 normotensive subjects with hypertensive parents. At the end of the orthostatic challenge, plasma ANP levels were reduced by about 40% (p less than 0.01) in all subjects without significant differences between the three groups. This indicates that the active postural inhibition of ANP release is substantially similar in the different subjects here studied.