Differences in selected zinc metabolism parameters in obese and normal-weight hypertensive patients following treatment with spironolactone.

Twenty-three hypertensive outpatients aged 18-53 yr (average: 39.8+/-10.4 yr) were classified into two groups according to body mass index (BMI). Six patients exceeded the BMI limit, set at 30 kg/m2. All were treated with 100 mg/d spironolactone and were subject to before and after measurements of their arterial pressure, efflux rate constants of zinc from lymphocytes (total ERCt-Zn and ouabain-dependent ERCos-Zn), serum zinc (Zn-s), lymphocyte zinc (Zn-l), serum aldosterone (Ald-s), plasma renin activity (PRA), serum sodium (Na-s), and potassium (K-s). After 7 d of spironolactone treatment, the ERCt-Zn change in normal-weight patients was +0.78+/-0.57, and -0.22+/-0.69 in obese patients. In the same manner, the change of ERCos-Zn was +0.59+/-0.94 and -0.025+/-0.32 in normal and obese patients, respectively. Serum Zn was increased in normal-weight patients but remained unchanged in the obese. The initial lymphocyte zinc values were significantly lower in obese patients, but increased up to normal values after spironolactone treatment.