BARORECEPTOR REFLEX AS A PREDICTOR OF THE CRITICAL COURSE OF ARTERIAL-HYPERTENSION

The sensitivity of baroreceptor ref lex was determined by the ''neck c hamber'' method at a pressure of 40 mm Hg in patients with mild, moder ate and malignant arterial hypertension (AH). A 24-hour blood monitori ng was performed in patients with mild and moderate AH. There was a ne gative correlation between the lowering values in blood pressure on ba roreceptor stimulation and the incidence of hypertensive crises in all the groups. There was also a negative correlation between the barorec eptor sensitivity and the daily, blood pressure variations in patients with moderate AH. The findings suggest that a decrease in barorecepto r sensitivity might be a predictor of the critical course of AH.