E4
Plasma prorenin is a better indicator than plasma renin activity of the antihypertensive response to longterm treatment with diuretics in elderly hypertensives.

plasma renin activity, prorenin, diuretics, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, renin, angiotensin, system

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Treatment of hypertensive patients with diuretics results in hormonal counterregulation due to changes in blood pressure and volume. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship of the antihypertensive response to diuretics to baseline values of plasma renin activity (PRA) and prorenin (PRO), and the changes in these hormones during treatment.

Twenty elderly hypertensives (mean age 79±6 years, office blood pressure (OBP) ≣160/95 mmHg) were treated with the diuretic combination hydrochlorothiazide (25–50 mg) / triamterene (50–100 mg) for 6 months. Ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring and measurement of PRA (enzyme kinetic assay) and PRO (total renin minus PRA after limited proteolysis with trypsin) were performed before treatment and after 3 and 6 months of therapy.

Mean...