Plasma Renin Activity in Acute Cerebrovascular Disease: Preliminary Communication

A preliminary study of plasma renin activity was made in 22 patients with acute cerebrovascular disease. Eight of 12 patients with intracranial hemorrhage had plasma renin activity values above the normal range of 30 to 330 ng/100 ml plasma, but only one of ten patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease had increased plasma renin activity. The mean values for the two groups were, respectively, 489 and 190 ng/100 ml plasma (P for difference < 0.001). Ten days later plasma renin activity was normal in each of three patients with intracranial hemorrhage. The acute increase of plasma renin activity may have been associated with altered activity of the autonomic nervous system, and may be related to posthemorrhagic vascular events such as vasospasm.