Objectives:To investigate the relationship between erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport and blood pressure in a randomly selected sample of untreated male workers and to evaluate the influence of a set of metabolic abnormalities commonly associated with hypertension on this relationshipDesign:A cross-sectional investigation of a randomly selected sample of untreated male workers (n=216, age range 21-59 years) at the Olivetti factory in Pozzuoli, NaplesMethods:Standardized measurements of anthropometric and metabolic parameters, blood pressure and Na+— L i+countertransport were performedResults:In a simple linear correlation analysis Na+—Li+countertransport was directly related to plasma triglycerides and uric acid concentrations, body mass index (BMI) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Significantly higher values of Na+-Li+countertransport were observed in the two upper quintiles of the serum triglycerides and uric acid distributions, and of the BMI distribution. Na+-Li+countertransport accounted for approximately 2% of the blood pressure variation in this study population, but its contribution to the effect of metabolic covariates was not statistically significant. Hypertensive individuals with one or more metabolic abnormality had a significantly higher mean level of Na+- Li+countertransport than those hypertensives who were free of such alterationsConclusions:The results of the present study suggest that a high level of Na+—Li+countertransport is more common in those hypertensive individuals who have concomitant metabolic abnormalities than in hypertensives who are free of such abnormalities