Antioxidant status and urinary stone risk parameters in essential hypertension

The present study was carried out on normal subjects (n = 20) and hypertens ive patients (n = 20) to find the possible difference between the urinary p arameters and antioxidant status. We found that hypertensives had hypocitra turia (p<0.001), hypercalciuria (p<0.01), increased lipid peroxide (p<0.001 ) in plasma, a decreased level of reduced glutathione (p<0.001) and decreas ed superoxide dismutase activity (p < 0.001) in their hemolysate when compa red with normals. The altered antioxidant status may cause decreased excret ion of citrate and increased excretion of calcium in the urine of hypertens ive patients. Hypocitraturia and hypercalciuria were regarded as a pathogen ic link between hypertension and renal stone formation.