CNP and hypertensive disorder: Consistent with adaptive and protective actions of CNP in humans are our previous findings in healthy volunteers without history of heart disease [64] in whom plasma values of the inactive product of proCNP 1-103 (NTproCNP) and bioactive CNP increased progressively at midlife in both sexes and showed univariate associations with renal function, high blood pressure, and markers of the metabolic syndrome.