The Haemodynamic Response to Salt and Water Loading in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease and Anephric Man

1. Patients with end-stage renal disease and anephric patients underwent expansion and depletion of body fluids with salt and water. This resulted in four different sequential haemodynamic patterns: (i) no significant increase in blood pressure; (ii) increase in blood pressure associated with a rise in cardiac output and no effect on total peripheral resistance; (iii) increase in cardiac output followed by a rise in blood pressure and total peripheral resistance; (iv) increase in total peripheral resistance and blood pressure without significant changes in cardiac output. 2. It is concluded that an initial rise in cardiac output is not necessary to increase-blood pressure in either anephric man or patients with end-stage renaldisease.