The effect of aging on urinary kallikrein excretion (UkalV) was investigated in 54 normal subjects, 11-88 yr old, and 37 patients with essential hypertension, 17-82 yr old. Urinary sodium, potassium, and aldosterone excretion (U(Ald)V) were also measured in these subjects. Urinary sodium and potassium excretion in both normal subjects and hypertensive patients did not significantly change with aging. In normal subjects, U(kal)V (r = 0.45; P less than 0.001) and U(Ald)V (r = 0.58; P less than 0.01) significantly decreased with increasing age. U(kal)V was positively correlated with U(Ald)V (r = 0.44; P less than 0.001). In contrast, the hypertensive patients had a significant decrease with age in U(Ald)V (r = -0.36; P less than 0.05), but no significant age-related change in U(kal)V. No significant correlation between U(kal)V and U(Ald)V was observed in the hypertensive patients. In individuals less than 60 yr old, there was no significant difference in U(kal)V values between normal subjects and hypertensive patients. Hypertensive patients more than 60 yr old excreted more urinary kallikrein than normal subjects of the same age group (P less than 0.05). In conclusion, the age-related decrease of U(kal)V in normal subjects may be due to the reduced activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. It remains to be elucidated whether the absence of the age-related decrease in U(kal)V in hypertensive patients is related to the pathogenesis or pathophysiology of essential hypertension.