Calcium, parathyroid hormone, and hypertension.

Both calcium and parathyroid hormone appear to be involved in the acute and chronic regulation of arterial pressure in experimental animals and humans. While the direct evidence is still preliminary, the net effect of calcium and parathyroid hormone under normal physiologic conditions is to favor a reduction in blood pressure. The implications of this assessment for common medical disorders, such as essential hypertension, and less common but oftentimes more challenging clinical conditions, such as end-stage renal disease, are potentially substantial.