Renin-Aldosterone and Vanillylmandelic Acid in Postpartum Hypertension

Renin-Aldosterone and Vanillylmandelic Acid in Postpartum Hypertension Dear Sir: It is well documented that a very small percentage of women developed transient hypertension 6 weeks after the termination of a normal pregnancy [1-4]. Since there is little knowledge about the mechanism of this type of hypertension, we studied plasma renin activity, plasma volume, and urinary excretion of vanillylmandelic acid and aldosterone in 5 postpartum hypertensive patients. Patients entered the study if they satisfied the following criteria: a normal pregnancy, normal blood pressure during and prior to pregnancy, sustained hypertension (diastolic pressure exceeded 90 mm Hg) during the 6-week of postpartum period, and not on any medication. During the hypertensive period the following laboratory examinations were performed: plasma renin activity (lying and upright position), plasma volume, and urinary excretion of aldosterone and vanillylmandelic acid. Table I. Plasma volume, plasma renin activity, urine aldosterone and urine vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) excretion during postpartum hypertension