Hypertension is common in patients with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). This study
addresses the hypothesis that sympathetic activity is enhanced in hypertensive PKD
patients, not only when renal function is impaired but also when renal function is still normal.
Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA, peroneal nerve), plasma renin activity (PRA),
heart rate, and BP were studied in PKD patients with normal and with impaired renal
function and in matched controls. In hypertensive patients with normal renal function, MSNA …