title: Renal plasma flow, filtration fraction and microalbuminuria in hypertensive patients: effects of chronic smoking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Albumin excretion rate is usually increased in people who smoke, but the physiological basis of this phenomenon is not fully understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of chronic smoking on renal haemodynamics was studied in a cohort of 66 men. Twenty-seven were smokers and 36 were hypertensive. In all subjects, the albumin excretion rate was evaluated; in hypertensive patients, a renoscintigraphic evaluation of renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration were carried out and the filtration fraction was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hypertensive smoking population presented an increased urinary albumin excretion rate in comparison with hypertensive non-smoking patients. No significant differences were found for the mean values of renal plasma flow, the glomerular filtration rate and the filtration fraction between hypertensive smokers and hypertensive non-smoking patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In hypertensive patients, smoking does not modify typical renal haemodynamic changes of arterial hypertension; however, it significantly increases the albumin excretion rate.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Malattie Cardiovascolari e Nefro-urologiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo. androp@unipa.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andronico
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romé
authors.forename: Antonina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lo Cicero
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parsi
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seddio
authors.forename: Rosella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferraro-Mortellaro
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buscemi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cerasola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012079:Renal Circulation; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology