[Effect of an oral calcium supplement in the treatment of slight-to- moderate essential arterial hypertension]

Abstract

51 patients with mild essential hypertension (EH) were randomly divided into two groups; the first group (31 patients) was treated with 1 g. of oral calcium during a period of 8 weeks; the second group received a placebo. The treated with calcium showed a significant decrease in blood pressure (BP), the maximal reduction being of 6 mm Hg in the systolic pressure (SBP) and 3 mm in the diastolic (DBP) at the end of the 8th week. We found a substantial positive relationship between the decrease in SBP and seric renin activity (p less than 0.05), as well as a significant negative relationship (p less than 0.05) between DBP and the seric level of parathyroid hormone (PTH). During the administration of the oral calcium supplement, the BP decreased in an inverse proportion to the plasmatic renin and seric level of PTH.