SUMMARYSplanchnic blood flow (SBF) was measured simultaneously with cardiac output (dye dilution) and intraarterial blood pressure by constant infusion of indocyanine green in 11 control subjects, 13 patients with essential hypertension (EH) and seven hypertensive patients with renal artery stenosis (RAS). The cardiac index (CI) was lower (P < 0.05) in patients with EH (3.17 ± 0.07 L/min/m2) (mean i SEMI) than in control subjects (3.43 ± 0.09). Associated with the lower CI was a significantly (P < 0.01) lower SBF same group reported a mean SBF of 755 ml/min/m2 in 41 hypertensive subjects and 798 ml/min/m2 in their 21 normal controls.2 In contrast, Pippig and Schmitt,3 using colloidal chromic-32 phosphate and an external counting system, reported a 20% lower value in 45 essential hypertensive subjects than in 40 normal controls. Other than these contradictory reports, no conclusive data on this subject have been presented. In addition, no data were provided about the type and stage of hypertension studied and obstructive lesions of the renal arteries were not eliminated in patients with EH.The above fact is of considerable importance because a reduction in SBF could be expected to slow down the metabolism of physiological and pharmacological substances by the liver. This in turn might cause an increased plasma level of these agents. We have measured SBF in well-defined hypertensive patients and control subjects according to the principle of Bradley et al.4 by a constant infusion of indocyanine green (ICG).5 Cardiac output and intra-