Barıs Afsar - Associate Professor, Department of Nephrology, Konya Numune State Hospital, Selcuklu/Konya, Turkey
Mahmut Ay - General Practitioner, Department of Biochemistry, Konya Numune State Hospital, Selcuklu/Konya, Turkey

BACKGROUND: To study the relationship between cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormone levels with ۲۴-h urinary sodium (Na) excretion levels in essential hypertensive patients. METHODS: All patients underwent history taking, physical examination, blood pressure (BP) measurement, ۱۲ lead electocardiographic evaluation, routine urine analysis, biochemical analysis including measurement of cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormone levels, ۲۴-h urine collection to measure urinary Na and protein excretion and creatinine clearance. RESULTS: In total, ۶۸ newly diagnosed hypertensive patients were included. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that ۲۴-h urinary Na excretion was correlated with insulin levels (ρ = −۰.۴۷۳, P < ۰.۰۰۰۱), serum cortisol levels (ρ = −۰.۴۰۴, P= ۰.۰۰۱۰) and creatinine clearance (ρ = ۰.۴۰۷, P: ۰.۰۰۱۰). Linear regression of independent factors has revealed that systolic BP (B = ۰.۰۰۴, CI = ۰.۰۰۱-۰.۰۰۸, P = ۰.۰۱۷۰), body mass index (B = ۰.۰۱۴, CI = ۰.۰۰۵-۰.۰۲۳, P = ۰.۰۰۳۰), being male (B = ۰.۰۷۷, CI = ۰.۰۰۱-۰.۱۵۳, P = ۰.۰۴۸۰), creatinine clearance (B = ۰.۰۰۳, CI = ۰.۰۰۱-۰.۰۰۶, P = ۰.۰۱۲۰) and insulin levels (B = −۰.۰۰۸, CI = −۰.۰۱۴ to −۰.۰۰۲, P = ۰.۰۰۷۰) were independently related with logarithmically converted ۲۴-h Na excretion. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we found that insulin but not cortisol and thyroid hormone levels were independently related with ۲۴-h urinary Na excretion in newly diagnosed essential hypertensive patients.   Keywords: Cortisol, Hypertension Insulin, Sodium, Thyroid