RENAL AND SYSTEMIC HEMODYNAMICS IN BLACK-AND-WHITE HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Greater mortality and morbidity for cardiovascular events and renal co mplications have been reported in black than in white hypertensive pat ients. In this study we examined whether race per se affected markers of early target organ damage in a population of black and white hypert ensive patients in whom casual as well as ambulatory blood pressure me asurements were obtained. We assessed renal and systemic hemodynamics by measuring mean arterial pressure invasively, renal blood flow by I- 131-para-aminohippuric acid clearance, and cardiac output by the indoc yanine dye dilution technique. Left ventricular structure was determin ed by two-dimensional guided M-mode echocardiography. No significant d ifferences in cardiac output, total peripheral resistance, renal blood now, and renal racial populations. Indices of myocardial structure we re also comparable between black and white hypertensive patients. This was true regardless whether all patients were analyzed, or male patie nts only, or only those with elevated ambulatory blood pressure measur ements. When defining arterial pressure by 24-h ambulatory monitoring, no differences in early target organ damage can be found between blac k and white patients with mild essential hypertension. (C) 1997 Americ an Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.