Attenuation of augmented ventilatory response to hypoxia in essential hypertension in the course of aging.

36 patients with essential hypertension and 15 of their adult descendants were investigated and compared with age-matched control groups of 33 and 15 healthy subjects, respectively. The ventilatory response to oxygen breathing and to progressive normo- und isocapnic hypoxia were studied. The reduction of ventilation during hyperoxia was significantly greater in all hypertensive patients. An augmented ventilatory response to hypoxia was found in 20- to 40-year-old patients whereas the older patients (41-60 years) were not different from the age-matched control subjects. Our results indicate that the augmented hypoxic sensitivity in early hypertension, as found also in the young adult descendants with family background of hypertension, is attenuated with age, similar to the normotensive subjects.