Salt Sensitivity and the Blood Pressure Response to Verapamil

To evaluate the effect of salt responsiveness of blood pressure to the antihypertensive effect of calcium channel blockade, we studied 15 essential hypertensive patients who had previously been characterized with respect to salt sensitivity or resistance of blood pressure. After a placebo period, titration with verapamil in doses of 180 to 480 mg/day was begun until goal blood pressure responses were reached. The study population exhibited a significant (P < or = .007) reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure with treatment. There were no significant differences in the response to calcium channel blockade when the subjects were separated into salt-sensitive (n = 8) and salt-resistant (n = 7) subgroups. A significant (P < or = .05) correlation was observed between the age of the subjects and the blood pressure response. In this study verapamil lowered blood pressure in all subjects. We conclude that calcium channel blockade reduces blood pressure in essential hypertensive subjects during a normal sodium intake, independent of salt-sensitivity status.