Catechol Amine Metabolism in Essential Hypertension

Abstract

BECAUSE both norepinephrine and sympathetic stimulation produce vasoconstriction there has been much speculation about the role of norepinephrine in essential hypertension. Hypertensive patients have been shown to be more sensitive to infused norepinephrine than normal persons.1 More recently drugs that affect either the tissue levels or the metabolism of norepinephrine or other catechol amines have been shown to have marked antihypertensive effects.2 The majority of reported studies of catechol amine excretion in hypertensive patients indicate normal or moderately elevated values for urinary catechol amines.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Several studies have shown significantly lower excretion in hypertensive patients than in normal persons.12 13 14 15 16 vanillyl-mandelic acid . . .