Relationship between Plasma Aldosterone Concentration and Plasma Potassium in Patients with Essential Hypertension during Alprenolol Treatment

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Abstract
Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), plasma renin concentration (PRC), plasma K, plasma Na and blood pressure (BP) were measured in 22 patients with essential hypertension before and after treatment for 1 mo. with alprenolol. PAC, PRC and BP decreased and plasma K increased significantly during treatment. Plasma Na was unchanged. Changes in PAC were inversely correlated to changes in plasma K. No relationship could be demonstrated between PAC and plasma Na. Mean BP was inversely correlated to PAC during alprenolol treatment, but not before treatment. No relationship was found between changes in BP and changes in PRC. Plasma K appears to be an important regulatory factor for aldosterone secretion during alprenolol treatment while other factors must have a modulating influence. Since the renin-angiotensin system is not suppressed to very low values, this system is possibly the most important of these factors. Aldosterone secretion may not be of primary importance in BP regulation during alprenolol treatment.