The Atrial Natriuretic Peptide in Human Hypertension

Measurements by radioimmunoassay of the ANP C-terminal (Ser 99-Tyr 126), N-terminal (Asn 1-Arg 98), and cyclic GMP in plasma of 77 healthy subjects and 32 patients with labile hypertension but with diastolic pressures below 90 mmHg at time of blood sampling, 74 with mild hypertension and diastolic pressures between 90–104 mmHg, 16 with moderate hypertension and diastolic pressures between 105 and 114 mmHg, and 7 with severe hypertension and diastolic pressures above 115 mmHg were found to be within normal range in all groups of patients with untreated essential hypertension. In view of the reported increases in right and left atrial pressures in patients with mild and moderate hypertension, these findings suggest a hyporesponsiveness of the atria to release ANP in essential hypertension.