RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RENAL PLASMA-FLOW RESPONSE TO ANGIOTENSIN-II ANDBLOOD-PRESSURE IN A POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE

Objective To assess whether interindividual variation in renal plasma flow or in its response to angiotensin II infusion is associated with interindividual differences in blood pressure in a population-based sa mple of 287 non-Hispanic whites (143 women and 144 men), aged 20-49.9 years, Methods After seven days of eating a high-sodium diet (260 mmol /day), the renal plasma flow was determined by measuring the clearance of p-aminohippurate before and after infusion of 3 ng/kg per min angi otensin II, Multiple linear regression methods were used to assess whe ther measures of the renal plasma flow and of its response to angioten sin II infusion were predictive of systolic or diastolic blood pressur es measured prior to administration of the high-sodium diet, on day 6 of the high-sodium diet, or during the renal clearance procedure on da y 7 prior to angiotensin II infusion, Results There was some evidence that measures of the renal plasma flow and of its response to angioten sin II infusion during the high-sodium diet were statistically signifi cant predictors of measures of blood pressure in women; there was less evidence for this for blood pressures in men, Interindividual variati on in measures of the renal plasma flow and of its response to angiote nsin II infusion explained less than 10% of the interindividual variat ion in any measure of the blood pressure in both sexes, Conclusion The se results suggest that interindividual variation in renal plasma flow and in its response to angiotensin II infusion during a high-sodium d iet will be of limited utility in elucidating the basis for interindiv idual differences in blood pressure.