title: Noradrenergic hyperactivity in primary hypertension; central and peripheral markers of both behavioral pathogenesis and efficacy of sympatholytic and relaxation therapy.
abstract: The effects of clonidine or relaxation therapy were determined in two separate groups of patients with primary hypertension. Ten patients were treated with clonidine monotherapy for 3 months. There were concurrent reductions of blood pressure, plasma and CSF norepinephrine, all p less than 0.01. The changes of blood pressure and norepinephrine were correlated, p less than 0.05 and 0.01, respectively. Thirty patients received hygienic instructions, and 17 of them had relaxation training in addition. Relaxation lowered blood pressures, p less than 0.01, the reduction of blood pressure was related to baseline plasma norepinephrine, p less than 0.05, and greater in patients with "raised" plasma norepinephrine, p less than 0.02. Plasma norepinephrine was lowered after hygienic therapy, p less than 0.05, the change was not significant after relaxation training. Arterial pressure elevation appears to be related to raised plasma norepinephrine. This noradrenergic hyperactivity is a marker for blood pressure responsiveness to sympatholytic therapy with clonidine or relaxation techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: DeQuattro
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Davison
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barndt
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sullivan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003000:Clonidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D012064:Relaxation Therapy
chemical_list: D003000:Clonidine; D009638:Norepinephrine