Plasma Renin Activity (PRA)

Disease information

In 10 percent of the patients with high blood pressure and around 20 percent of the patients with therapy resistant hypertonia, the underlying cause is primary hyper-aldosteronism (PHA). It can be detected by estimation of serum aldosterone and renin levels. The ratio helps to differentiate it from secondary hyper-aldosteronism. Furthermore, it’s important to rule out another differential causing sodium retention and hypertension:

• Adrenal hyperplasia or tumor of the glomerulosa cells (PHA): hypertension but with high aldosterone and low renin levels
• Liddel syndrome (a hereditary disease caused by mutations in the epithelial sodium channel in renal tubules): hypertension but with low levels of both aldosterone and renin