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Previous Volume 348:1717-1719 April 24, 2003 Number 17 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: Keller et al. (Jan. 9 issue)¹ report that patients with hypertension have fewer nephrons than do age-matched normotensive controls. Is hypertension therefore predetermined by a low nephron number, and, if so, how does this occur? Reduction of the surface area of glomerular capillaries, resulting in a limitation of sodium filtration, does not explain the findings, since kidney donation is not associated with hypertension, even many years later.²

We propose that most primary hypertension results from subtle, acquired renal injury,³ mediated by transient renal vasoconstriction (such as that resulting from catecholamines, diets low in potassium, or hyperuricemia), or . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Gross, M.-L., Amann, K., Ritz, E. (2005). Nephron Number and Renal Risk in Hypertension and Diabetes. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 16: S27-S29 [Abstract] [Full Text]