Plasma Renin Assessment as the Strategy of Hypertension Management

Abstract

The recent interest to plasma renin activity (PRA) is due to the opportunity of antihypertensive therapy choice that is based on the understanding of the interrelation between renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and mechanisms of water balance mediated by the renal sodium absorption and water retention. PRA is the way to understand the primary mechanism of blood pressure elevation. PRA < 0,65 ng/ml/h indicates the water retention, and hypertension is considered low-renin and «volume-dependent». If PRA is more than 0,65 ng/ml/h hypertension results from excessive renin secretion and RAAS activation.