title: Preliminary report: natriuretic effect of calcium supplementation in hypertensive women over forty.
abstract: Twenty-four hypertensive women over 40 years of age were given calcium carbonate 1 g/d for 12 weeks after a 4-week period of observation. Blood pressures were measured every 2 weeks. Plasma ionized calcium (Ca++), sodium (Na), and potassium (K) were measured twice in the control period and twice in the Ca-supplementation period. Urine measurements included Ca, Magnesium (Mg), Na, K, prostaglandin E2, and osmolality. Blood pressures were averaged to get group means, and these were compared using the paired t-test. For the group, seated systolic blood pressure fell from 141.5 +/- 13.2 to 136.3 +/- 11.4 mm Hg (p less than 0.025) at the end of 12 weeks of supplementation, and diastolic blood pressure fell from 84.5 +/- 7.5 to 81.1 +/- 7.1 mm Hg (p less than 0.025). There was no correlation between serum Ca++ and blood pressure. The urinary Na excretion was markedly elevated during the Ca supplementation period: 25.8 +/- 14.2 vs. 18.4 +/- 7.9 mmol/4 hr (p less than 0.005). These results suggest an indirect (natriuretic) effect as the means by which Ca supplementation lowers blood pressure.
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009318:Natriuresis / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D002119:Calcium Carbonate