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The response of plasma renin activity (PRA) to various renin stimulating procedures was determined in 108 hypertensive patients. PRA was suppressed in all of the patients with primary aldosteronism and in a patient with adrenal 17a-hydroxylase deficiency. In benign essential hypertension low response of PRA was observed in 11 of 72 patients. Aldosterone secretion rate was determined in these 11 patients and raised values were found in 7, of whom 3 patients received adrenal exploration. A small adrenocortical adenoma was detected in one patient but not in the other two. The suppression of PRA was also found in patients with Cushing's syndrome and in patients with chronic renal parenchymatous diseases. These results raised some doubt about the reliability of the diagnostic criterion postulated by Conn for primary aldosteronism.
Maebashi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.