[Prevalence and risk factors of asymptomatic intracranial vascular stenosis in patients with essential hypertension].

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and the distribution pattern of lesion site of intracranial vascular stenosis and to identify risk factors for the stenosis in patients with essential hypertension.

Methods: A total of 231 consecutive inpatients with essential hypertension were included in this study. Patients with the history of cerebrovascular diseases and relevant neurological symptoms were excluded.

[Aldosterone-to-renin ratio threshold for screening primary aldosteronism in Chinese hypertensive patients].

Objective: In recent years, the assessment of the plasma aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) has become a most effectively and commonly used method for screening primary aldosteronism from hypertensive patients. It is known that there is a large variance in ARR value between races and ARR is affected by many factors, such as drugs, posture and serum potassium etc. The objective of this study is to establish the threshold of ARR for screening primary aldosteronism in Chinese hypertensive patients.