Influence of Hydration, Venous Pooling and Adrenal Cortical Insufficiency on Postural Antidiuresis and Antisaluresis

¹ From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City

The influence of hydration, of elastic bandaging of the lower extremities and of adrenal cortical insufficiency upon the renal retention of water, sodium and chloride associated with upright posture was studied. With ‘moderate hydration,’ the excretion of both water and electrolytes diminished when the subjects changed from the supine to the sitting position. With ‘intense hydration’ only electrolyte excretion diminished when the subjects sat up. Compression of the superficial veins of the lower extremities with elastic bandages diminished the expected postural antidiuresis and antisaluresis. Patients with treated adrenal cortical insufficiency did not demonstrate any antidiuresis when the sitting position was assumed.