Sodium sensitivity of blood pressure in long-term detoxified alcoholics.
To investigate whether sodium sensitivity of blood pressure participates in the relationship of arterial hypertension to chronic alcohol consumption, 30 alcoholics detoxified from 6 to 12 months and 30 teetotaler controls underwent a dietary sodium manipulation study. They received a daily 55 mmol sodium diet for 7 days, followed by a 260 mmol sodium diet for 7 days. Changes in 24-hour urinary sodium excretion between the end of each period were similar in alcoholics and controls (202+/-16 SEM mmol and 227+/-11, respectively). Plasma renin activity in alcoholics was lower than in controls at both low (2.4+/-0.4 ng angiotensin I/mLxh(-1) versus 3. 7+/-0.2, P<0.003) and high sodium intake (0.47+/-0.10 versus 0. 82+/-0.10, P<0.05), with smaller variations in alcoholics (-1.9+/-0. 3 versus -2.9+/-0.2, P<0.009). In alcoholics, alteration in sodium intake was followed by greater changes in both systolic and mean blood pressure (ambulatory blood pressure monitoring), which rose by 10.6+/-2.2 mm Hg and 7.3+/-1.5 versus 4.7+/-1.4 and 3.9+/-1.0 in controls, respectively (P<0.03 for systolic and P<0.05 for mean blood pressure). The ratio of changes in mean blood pressure to those in 24-hour urinary sodium excretion was higher in alcoholics (0.044+/- 0.011 mm Hgxmmol(-1) versus 0.018+/-0.0041, P<0.005). Our data show that in detoxified alcoholics, there is an abnormal response of both blood pressure and plasma renin activity to variations in salt intake similar to that in sodium-sensitive arterial hypertension. The precise relationship between the sodium sensitivity of blood pressure in detoxified alcoholics and the long-term influence of alcohol on blood pressure remains to be elucidated.
Di Gennaro
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Center For Study and Treatment of Alcoholism, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Scienze Biomediche, and Istituto di Patologia Speciale Medica, University of Parma, Italy.
Barilli
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Giuffredi
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Gatti
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Montanari
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Vescovi
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PP
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008658:Inactivation, Metabolic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013997:Time Factors
D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D012964:Sodium