Sagnella GA, Leone A, Vallance PJ, Markandu ND, Singer DRJ, MacGregor GA
Urinary nitrate in humans: does it correlate with high blood pressure?
16th Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Hypertension
ISH Abstract Book (Jun) 16: 1996

There is controversy over the role of nitric oxide in the control of blood pressure in humans. This is a well controlled study in subjects with a wide range of blood pressure using urinary nitrate excretion as one index of nitric oxide production.

108 subjects (69 white, 21 blacks and 18 asians; 66 male, 42 female), aged from 23 to 72 years and with blood pressures from 96/63 to 208/131 mmHg were studied. The majority of the hypertensive patients had not received previous drug treatment and in those who had, it had been stopped at least one month before. Subjects were on their usual sodium diet. They were instructed to fast for 12 hours overnight. On the morning of the study, timed (3 hours) urinary collections for urinary nitrate were made between 9.00 and 12.00. Supine blood pressure (ultrasound sphygmomanometer; mean of 5 readings) and weights were also recorded. During the fasting and the timed urine collection period, subjects were allowed to drink nitrate-free water only. Urinary nitrate was measured using capillary electrophoresis.

Mean (SD) urinary nitrate excretion was 0.88 ñ 0.71 æmol/min (n = 108). Within the group there was no significant association (Pearson correlation coefficients) between urinary nitrate excretion rate and systolic (r = -0.03), diastolic blood pressure (r = -0.02), age (r = -0.09) or weight (r = -0.04). There also was no significant association between urinary nitrate and race or gender. These results do not support the concept of a defect in nitric oxide production (as assessed by urinary nitrate excretion) being associated with increased blood pressure (Carmine Zoccali, M.D, Reggio Calabria, Italy).

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16th Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Hypertension
H: Pathophysiology : Endothelium, Nitric Oxide