Plasma renin activity, serum aldosterone concentration and selected organ damage indices in essential arterial hypertension

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to assess the relations between plasma renin activity (PRA), serum aldosterone concentration (ALDO) and selected asymptomatic organ damage (AOD) indices in mild primary arterial hypertension (AH).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We measured PRA, ALDO, and selected AOD indices (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), central aortic pulse pressure (cPP), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)) in 122 patients with untreated AH.

RESULTS

Patients with high PRA (≥ 0.65 ng/ml/h) were characterized by lower plasma sodium and aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR), higher ALDO, but a similar level of AOD indices compared to patients with low PRA. cfPWV (p = 0.04) and cPP (p = 0.019) increased with ARR, while eGFR decreased with ALDO (p = 0.008). Only eGFR was independently correlated with ALDO. In subjects with simultaneously high PRA and ARR values, we found significantly higher cfPWV (p = 0.02) and cPP (p = 0.04) and lower eGFR (p = 0.02) than in those with high PRA but low ARR values.

CONCLUSIONS

Assessment of the influence of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) on AOD should include the relationship between renin and aldosterone. The PRA itself has no predictive value for AOD. More advanced arterial stiffness and renal impairment are associated with increased PRA and ARR. The RAAS activity might be useful in AOD prediction and hypertension severity assessment.

Circulating miR-21 levels in hypertensive patients with asymptomatic organ damage

As a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, presence of hypertension (HT) necessitates the awareness of asymptomatic organ damage (AOD). The aim of this study was to measure plasma micro RNA-21 (miR-21) and the parameters that reflect AOD such as carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), microalbuminuria (MAU) in hypertensive patients compared with healthy controls. In addition, the aim of this study was to evaluate plasma miR-21 levels in HT patients with AOD.This study was designed as a cross-sectional observational study. The study includes 2 groups: 32 patients with HT and 32 healthy controls. First, we compared these 2 groups. Then, to underline the relationship between plasma miR-21 and HT, hypertensive patients were divided into 2 groups: with AOD and without AOD.Sixteen patients with HT had AOD. MiR-21 levels significantly correlated with clinical systolic and diastolic blood pressure, MAU, C-reactive protein, and CIMT. CIMT, miR-21, and MAU levels were significantly higher in patients with AOD.Our study showed increased miR-21 levels in HT patients with AOD.