[The value of different investigation procedures in arterial hypertension (author's transl)].

221 patients with arterial hypertension were investigated as outpatients. 198 patients were found to have primary and 23 patients to have secondary hypertension. The results of urinary analysis were pathological in 25% of patients and renal function tests were abnormal in 20% of cases. Significant bacteriuria was recorded in 19% of urinary cultures. Intravenous pyelography showed true pathological findings in 12% of cases, false positive findings in 7% and false negative findings in 5%. Isotopic nephrograms showed true positive findings in 52%, false negative in 3% and 45% showed normal results. In 53% of patients angiography of the kidneys showed normal results, whilst this investigation proved pathological in 44% of cases and gave false negative results in 3% of patients. An additional search for coronary heart disease risk factors revealed that 73% of these hypertensive patients were overweight, 47% had hyperlipidaemia, 33% suffered from diabetes mellitus and nicotine abuse was present in 21% of cases. A relevant yet inexpensive screening programme for the investigation of hypertension is formulated on the basis of the results of this investigation.