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This study was designed to assess any changes in the plasma concentrations of adrenomedullin (ADM) and atrial and brain natriuretic peptide (ANP and BNP, respectively), and to investigate their pathophysiological roles in patients with essential hypertension (EH). The plasma ADM, ANP and BNP concentrations were measured in 64 patients with untreated EH and 35 normotensive control subjects. After 4 weeks of effective antihypertensive therapy with oral drugs for the hypertensive patients, the plasma concentrations of ADM, ANP and BNP in the hypertensive patients were measured again. The plasma concentrations of ADM, ANP and BNP were significantly higher in the hypertensive patients than those in the control subjects, and the concentrations increased with the clinical stage. Furthermore, the hypertensive patients exhibited increased mean arterial pressure (MAP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and decreased glomerular filtration rates (GFRs) compared with the control subjects. The plasma ADM concentration was not only correlated with BUN, Scr and the GFR, but was also associated with the MAP and the plasma levels of ANP and BNP. Following effective antihypertensive therapy with oral medication for 4 weeks, the plasma concentrations of ADM, ANP and BNP were significantly, but not sharply, decreased. In conclusion, ADM, along with ANP and BNP, may be involved in the mechanisms acting against a further increase in blood pressure and may be useful biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertensive patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]