Failure to Confirm a Prolongation of the Biological Half-life of "Na in Hypertensive Patients

The biological half-life of Na was measured in 29 patients with uncomplicated essential hypertension and 15 patients with normal blood pressure. All were on a standard regimen with constant diet and known NaCl intake. The biological half-life of Na was found to be similar in those with and without hypertension. This larger series of observations failed to confirm an earlier study from our laboratory in which the biological half-life of Na was reported to be longer in individuals with hypertension. The most likely explanation for the difference is that with the small number of patients studied earlier, there was a fortuitous selection of normotensive subjects with a shorter biological half-life for Na. ADDITIONAL