Plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentration in essential hypertension

Plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) concentration has previously been reported to be elevated in hypertensive Japanese men with uncharacterized renin status. Indirect evidence suggests that some patients with low renin essential hypertension might be expected to have an elevated plasma DS concentration. The intravenous furosemide test was utilized to categorize renin status in black and white, male and female hypertensive patients, and plasma DS concentration was measured. Plasma DS concentration in the low and normal renin subgroups did not differ significantly. In addition, no difference in plasma DS concentration was noted between black and white hypertensive patients and normal subjects, though plasma DS concentration decreased with age and was lower in women. We thus conclude that plasma DS concentration is normal in the great majority of patients with essential hypertension.