Key Points
- To establish the epidemiological characteristics of plasma renin activity (PRA) and evaluate its relationship with blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors in a general population.
- Cross-sectional study evaluating plasma renin activity (PRA) in N=1,999 members of occupational groups in North and West London.
- Assessed associations of PRA with systolic blood pressure, age, sex, race, smoking status, menstrual cycle phase, hematological variables, and history of hypertension or myocardial infarction.
- PRA was inversely associated with systolic blood pressure in men, showing an 8.4% fall (on a log scale) per one standard deviation increase in systolic blood pressure, though blood pressure accounted for <1% of PRA variance.
- Mean PRA was approximately 20% higher in smokers and ex-smokers than non-smokers, declined with increasing age, and was lower in women, Black participants, and men with diagnosed hypertension or prior myocardial infarction.
- PRA was positively correlated with hemoglobin, blood cholesterol, leukocyte count, and Factor VIII, and was lower during the first quarter of the menstrual cycle.
Structured PICO
PPopulation1999 members of occupational groups in North and West London
OOutcomeAssociation of plasma renin activity (PRA) with systolic blood pressure and other demographic/clinical factorssurrogate
Low, rather than high, levels of plasma renin activity may be associated with increased cardiovascular risk, possibly reflecting a homeostatic response to elevated blood pressure.