Circulating catecholamines and systolic time intervals in labile and sustained hypertension.

1. Average supine circulating total catecholamine concentrations were found to be higher than the normal range in about 50% of patients with labile hypertension and in about 30% of patients with sustained essential hypertension. 2. These higher resting concentrations were mainly due to an increase in adrenaline in labile hypertension and to an increase in noradrenaline in sustained hypertension. 3. Patients with elevated catecholamine concentrations were also characterized by a higher heart rate, by an increased myocardial contractility and by greater hypotensive response after treatment with beta-adrenoreceptor blocking agents. 4. These studies suggest the existence of sub-groups of hypertensive patients with increased sympathetic tone.