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Introduction: Albumin excretion rate is usually increased in people who smoke, but the physiological basis of this phenomenon is not fully understood. Methods: The effect of chronic smoking on renal haemodynamics was studied in a cohort of 66 men. Twenty-seven were smokers and 36 were hypertensive. In all subjects, the albumin excretion rate was evaluated; in hypertensive patients, a renoscintigraphic evaluation of renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration were carried out and the filtration fraction was calculated. Results: The hypertensive smoking population presented an increased urinary albumin excretion rate in comparison with hypertensive non-smoking patients. No significant differences were found for the mean values of renal plasma flow, the glomerular filtration rate and the filtration fraction between hypertensive smokers and hypertensive non-smoking patients. Conclusions: In hypertensive patients, smoking does not modify typical renal haemodynamic changes of arterial hypertension; however, it significantly increases the albumin excretion rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]