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Influence of antihypertensive medication on aldosterone and renin concentration in the differential diagnosis of essential hypertension and primary aldosteronism
Author(s) -
Seifarth C.,
Trenkel S.,
Schobel H.,
Hahn E. G.,
Hensen J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2265.2002.01613.x
Subject(s) - primary aldosteronism , medicine , spironolactone , aldosterone , essential hypertension , endocrinology , renin–angiotensin system , plasma renin activity , angiotensin ii receptor type 1 , angiotensin ii , blood pressure , hyperaldosteronism
Summary objective Antihypertensive drugs influence the neurohumoral cardiovascular system and the concentration of hormones involved in blood pressure regulation. Little is known, however, about the extent to which various antihypertensive drugs influence cardiovascular hormone concentrations and thus disturb the differential diagnosis of hypertension in clinical practice. In this study we compare the impact of different antihypertensive medicaments on the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system in patients with essential hypertension who are screened for primary aldosteronism. design and subjects We analysed serum aldoster‐one (SAC) and plasma renin concentration (PRC) in 37 normotensive controls, 144 hypertensive patients with essential hypertension, and 19 patients with primary aldosteronism. Patients were on different treatment regimens such as single drug or combination therapy with β‐blockers, angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II subtype 1 (AT 1 ) receptor antagonists, calcium channel blockers, spironolactone and no treatment. results In patients with essential hypertension, β‐blocker therapy ( n = 47) led to a highly significant suppression of renin, whereas serum levels of aldosterone were not significantly altered. ACE inhibitors and AT 1 receptor antagonists ( n = 55) decreased aldosterone levels only to a minor extent. Calcium channel blockers ( n = 23) had no significant influence on SAC or PRC. In patients with primary aldosteronism treated with spironolactone ( n = 8), renin escaped suppression and reached very high levels. conclusion β‐blockers and aldosterone antagonists have the strongest impact on the renin–angiotensin system. The decrease in renin concentration by β‐blockers leads to an increase in the ratio of aldosterone to renin, and thus to false‐positive results in patients with essential hypertension. Calcium channel blockers, and probably also ACE inhibitors and AT 1 receptor antagonists alone or in combination, may be continued during screening for primary aldosteronism by determination of renin and aldosterone concentration.