Calcium & Microalbuminuria: Risk indicators in Essential Hypertension

Hypertension is the commonest, asymptomatic, readily detectable, usually easily remediable chronic cardiovascular disorder, may often lead to lethal complications if left untreated. It has proved to be one of the most important public health problems to all socioeconomic strata globally. Although antihypertensive therapy clearly reduces the risks of cardiovascular and renal disease, large segments of the hypertensive population are either untreated or inadequately treated. Though routine evaluation of serum calcium and microalbuminuria is now recommended by JNC-VII guidelines as part of the diagnostic work-up of every hypertensive patient, its potential diagnostic power has not yet been fully exploited in clinical practice. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of hypertension on serum total and ionized calcium and to evaluate the relationship between urinary albumin excretion and the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in untreated hypertensive patients.