SYNOPSIS Total body potassium was measured in 103 healthy adults using a shadow-shield wholebody monitor of high sensitivity. The standard deviation from regression was smaller when total body potassium was correlated with height than with weight and was further reduced, to about 9 %, in a multiple regression using height and age. The advantages of this relationship over indices involving weight are discussed. The smallest standard deviation from regression, 7-5 %, was obtained when total body potassium was correlated with height, weight, and age. The usefulness of this relationship is discussed with comment on its limitations.A regression equation was derived between lean body mass (derived from height and weight) and total body potassium with a standard deviation from regression of 550% in males and 7.30% in females.
1. Exchangeable sodium (NaE), plasma electrolytes and arterial pressure were measured in 121 normal subjects and 91 patients with untreated essential hypertension (diastolic greater than 100 mmHg), 21 of whom had low-renin hypertension. Plasma concentrations of renin, angiotensin II and aldosterone were measured in all hypertensive patients, total body sodium, total body potassium and exchangeable potassium (KE) in some patients. 2. Mean NaE was not different in normal and hypertensive subjects provided the two groups were matched for leanness index. In the subgroup of young hypertensive patients aged 35 years or less mean NaE was below normal. NaE was not related to arterial pressure in normal subjects but in hypertensive patients there were positive and significant correlations of arterial pressure with NaE and with total body sodium. 3. NaE and total body sodium increased with age in hypertensive but not in normal subjects. Partial regression analysis suggested that the correlation of NaE with arterial pressure was not explained by an influence of age. 4. Mean NaE was not increased and mean KE was not decreased in patients with low-renin hypertension. 5. Plasma potassium concentration, KE and total body potassium correlated inversely and significantly with blood pressure in hypertensive patients. These correlations were more marked in young than in old patients. 6. Multiple regression analysis showed that the combination of NaE and plasma potassium concentration 'explained' more of the variation of systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients than it did in normal subjects. Plasma potassium concentration 'explained' more of the variation in young hypertensives and NaE 'explained' more in older patients. 7. Our findings suggest than changes of plasma and body potassium are important in the earlier stages of essential hypertension and that changes of body sodium become important later.
Summary
This paper describes a comprehensive study of silver content in a subject suffering from argyria associated with the excessive use of an oral anti‐smoking remedy containing silver acetate. Using neutron activation analysis and a radioactive tracer it was possible to measure directly total body silver content, the tendency to retain silver and silver concentrations in various tissues. The findings are discussed in relation to previous knowledge of the disease and indicate that the uptake of silver may be substantial following the use of oral silver preparations.
The calibration procedure for the measurement of total body potassium with a high sensitivity shadow-shield whole-body counter is described. The sources of error have been analysed and it is shown that the estimated standard error for t'he procedure is 2.7y0 for a subject with 140 g of potassium, when 12K is administered to the subject as an internal standard. When a calibration factor is obtained from a derived regression equation relating this factor to the subject's weight and height, the estimated standard error is 3.9%. In sequential measurements in the same subject a change of body potassium equal to 4.6Ob would be significant.
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