Conference to focus on connection between fluid balance and hypertension

Each day we consume liquids in order to keep hydrated and maintain our body's fluid balance. But just as a water balloon can get overtaxed by too much liquid, the human body is negatively affected when it retains fluids because it is unable to eliminate them properly. One of the key variables influencing how much fluid we hold in our bodies is ordinary table salt (sodium chloride). The consequences of excess fluid retention can be severe, causing not only edema (excess of body fluid), but also high blood pressure (hypertension), which the Centers for Disease Control estimates affects nearly one in three American adults and last year carried an estimated financial toll of $76.6 billion for the period.

What is the connection between fluid balance and hypertension? The 7th International Symposium on Aldosterone and the ENaC/Degenerin Family of Ion Channels, sponsored by the American Physiological Society, explores this public health concern in detail. New scientific findings, coupled with talks by experts from around the world working in aldosterone and epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) research, is offering insight on the effect these substances have on blood pressure, the cardiovascular system and other organ systems. The meeting is being held September 18-22 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, Calif.

Symposium on Aldosterone and the ENaC/Degenerin Family of Ion Channels

Thus, "the meeting focuses on the key players in the body that regulate the volume of fluid that surround cells and is in blood vessels, which is a major determinant of blood pressure," said symposium co-chair Thomas R. Kleyman, MD, Professor of Medicine, Cell Biology, Physiology, and chief of the Renal-Electrolyte Division at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology. "Extracellular fluid volume is regulated by the amount of sodium in the body. Too much sodium is a bad thing, but too little is troublesome as well." He added, "The conference examines how all the parts fit together."