[The participation of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal system in the raising of the arterial pressure under the influence of emotional stress in arterial hypertension].

The study was undertaken to examine 30 healthy males and 67 patients with arterial hypertension. The author studied urinary excretion of 17-KS and blood levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone before and after emotional stress induced by the "hour/compass" test. It was found that due to the stress, the release of the metabolites corticosteroids was higher in intensity than changes in blood concentrations of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone in borderline hypertension and Stage I hypertensive disease, whereas these parameters were in an inverse ratio in Stage II hypertensive disease. Such changes occurred in patients with secondary hypertension. The ratio should be used as a diagnostic test.