1. Changes in blood pressure during the normal menstrual cycle are not well documented, and previous studies have given conflicting results. 2. Thirty normotensive women and ten mildly hypertensive women measured their blood pressure at home each morning for 6 weeks, under standardized conditions, using a UA-751 semi-automatic sphygmomanometer. All had normal menstrual cycles and subjects entered the study at difference phases of the cycle. 3. Blood pressure was higher at the onset of menstruation than at most other phases of the cycle (systolic blood pressure, P < 0.05; diastolic blood pressure, P < 0.001). Adjusted diastolic blood pressure was higher in the follicular than in the luteal phase (mean difference 1.23 mmHg, P < 0.001). Similarly, blood pressure was lower during days 17–26 than during the remainder of the cycle (adjusted mean difference in systolic blood pressure −0.65 mmHg, P = 0.07; adjusted mean difference in diastolic blood pressure − 1.19 mmHg, P < 0.001). 4. Similar patterns were seen in normotensive and hypertensive subjects, and changes in plasma 17β-oestradiol and progesterone concentrations were also similar in the two groups.

The objective of this study was to examine total exchangeable sodium, plasma-blood volume, and the status of the renin-angiotensin system in hypertensive diabetic patients with established nephropathy. We also evaluated hypertensive patients with diabetes who were free of clinically apparent nephropathy or other diabetic complications. Total exchangeable sodium (by 24Na dilution) was expressed as percentage predicted. Subjects were studied as inpatients receiving unrestricted sodium intake and in stable metabolic control. Total exchangeable sodium was 100 +/- 2% in controls (n = 42), higher (p less than 0.01) at 108 +/- 2% in normotensive patients with diabetes (n = 30), and higher still (p less than 0.005) in hypertensive patients with diabetic nephropathy (n = 16) 118 +/- 4% (p less than 0.05 vs normotensive diabetics). The value correlated with blood pressure only in diabetics with nephropathy (r = 0.61, p less than 0.01). Plasma renin activity, and blood and plasma volumes were similar in nephropathic diabetics and controls. Hypertensive patients with maturity-onset (type II) diabetes free of nephropathy (n = 18) were compared with nondiabetic controls (n = 16) and normotensive patients with type II diabetes (n = 18) of similar age. Total exchangeable sodium in the controls was 100 +/- 3%, higher (p less than 0.01) in normotensive diabetics at 109 +/- 2%, but not significantly elevated in hypertensive diabetics at 106 +/- 2%. Again, blood and plasma volumes did not differ among the groups. Plasma renin activity was suppressed (p less than 0.01) to a comparable degree in both normotensive and hypertensive patients with type II diabetes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

SummaryThe effect of prolonged preoperative treatment with spironolactone has been studied in a series of 67 patients with hypertension, aldosterone excess, and low plasma renin. In the series as a whole a highly significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic pressures was achieved, with no evidence of escape from control during therapy lasting several years in some cases. The drug was equally effective in controlling blood pressure in patients with and without adrenocortical adenomata. Occasional unresponsive patients were encountered in both groups; pretreatment blood urea levels in these were significantly higher than in the responsive patients. The hypotensive effect of spironolactone usually predicted the subsequent response to adrenal surgery.Spironolactone in all cases corrected plasma electrolyte abnormalities; significant increases in total exchangeable (or total body) potassium and significant reductions in total exchangeable sodium, total body water, extracellular fluid, and plasma volumes were seen. Plasma urea rose during treatment and there was a slight fall in mean body weight. Significant increases in peripheral venous plasma renin and angiotensin II concentrations occurred during treatment.In two patients no increase in aldosterone secretion rate was found during treatment, although plasma aldosterone rose in three of four subjects studied. Severe side effects were rare; in only two of the 67 patients did the drug have to be stopped.

Available evidence indicates that poor metabolic control and raised blood pressure each accelerate the development of diabetic microangiopathy. Microangiopathy is associated with excess albumin deposition in capillary basement membranes and it has been suggested that increased extravasation of plasma constituents may lead to basement membrane thickening. We measured the transcapillary escape rate of albumin, an indicator of the rate of extravasation of intravascular albumin from the circulation per unit time, following intravenous injection of 125I-human serum albumin. We examined the independent effects on the transcapillary escape rate of albumin of non-ketotic poor metabolic control, hypertension and microangiopathy. We studied non-diabetic control subjects and diabetic patients, initially when in non-ketotic poor metabolic control and again when control had been improved. We also studied normotensive well-controlled diabetic patients without microangiopathy, normotensive well-controlled diabetic patients with microangiopathy, hypertensive well-controlled diabetic patients without microangiopathy and hypertensive well-controlled diabetic patients with microangiopathy. The transcapillary escape rate of albumin was similar in non-diabetic control subjects (5.5 +/- 0.7%/h) and in both Type 1 (5.3 +/- 1.2%/h) and Type 2 (5.1 +/- 0.6%/h) normotensive diabetic patients without long-term complications. During poor metabolic control the transcapillary escape rate of albumin was significantly higher than in non-diabetic subjects (8.8 +/- 0.8%/h and 5.5 +/- 0.7%/h respectively, p less than 0.01). With improved control values fell significantly to 6.3 +/- 0.9%/h (p less than 0.02), not significantly different from control subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)