Aim of this work was to study calcium homeostasis in essential hypertension through evaluation of calciotropic hormones and their relations to renin level. Thirty hypertensive patients and ten normal volunteer persons were included in this study, patients and control were subjected to full medical history and examination, complete urine examination, fasting blood sugar, blood urea nitrogen, complete blood picture, abdominal ultrasonography, serum creatinine, serum potassium, serum sodium, serum calcium, 24 hours urinary calcium, serum 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin , serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and plasma renin activity (PRA). The results of this work showed no significant differences between the mean serum calcium values in the hypertensive group and the control group. Significant elevation of 24 hours urinary calcium in the hypertensive group when compared to the control group. Significant levation of the mean value of serum 1,25(OH)2D and serum PTH in the hypertensive group when compared to the control group. No correlations were observed among serum PTH, serum 1,25 (OH)2D and urinary calcium in the hypertensive group. From this study we came to conclusion that hypercalciuria is a major derangement of calcium metabolism in patients with essential hypertension. The elevated PTH and 1,25(OH)2D might be a compensatory esponse to restore calcium balance to normal, these calciotropic hormones directly facilitate calcium transport intracellularly, intracellular calcium accumulation and hence increase cytosolic free Ca++ which is crucial for vascular contractile activity and hence elevation of blood pressure. |
