title: The relationship of erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport to blood pressure and metabolic abnormalities in a sample of untreated middle-aged male workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport and blood pressure in a randomly selected sample of untreated male workers and to evaluate the influence of a set of metabolic abnormalities commonly associated with hypertension on this relationship.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional investigation of a randomly selected sample of untreated male workers (n = 216, age range 21-59 years) at the Olivetti factory in Pozzuoli, Naples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Standardized measurements of anthropometric and metabolic parameters, blood pressure and Na(+)-Li+ countertransport were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a simple linear correlation analysis Na(+)-Li+ countertransport was directly related to plasma triglycerides and uric acid concentrations, body mass index (BMI) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Significantly higher values of Na(+)-Li+ countertransport were observed in the two upper quintiles of the serum triglycerides and uric acid distributions, and of the BMI distribution. Na(+)-Li+ countertransport accounted for approximately 2% of the blood pressure variation in this study population, but its contribution to the effect of metabolic covariates was not statistically significant. Hypertensive individuals with one or more metabolic abnormality had a significantly higher mean level of Na(+)-Li+ countertransport than those hypertensives who were free of such alterations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study suggest that a high level of Na(+)-Li+ countertransport is more common in those hypertensive individuals who have concomitant metabolic abnormalities than in hypertensives who are free of such abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Internal Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Second Medical School, University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strazzullo
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Cappuccio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trevisan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barba
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ragone
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D017920:Antiporters / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D017920:Antiporters; D014280:Triglycerides; C045885:sodium-lithium countertransporter; D014527:Uric Acid