The Effect of Bed Rest on Plasma Renin in Hypertensive Disease of Pregnancy

Summary Plasma renin concentration and plasma renin activity have been measured in a group of women in the third trimester of pregnancy before and after three days' bed rest. Twelve women were normotensive, 21 women had pregnancies complicated by hypertension alone, and in 9 women the pregnancy was complicated by hypertension and proteinuria. Bed rest resulted in an increase in plasma renin activity and concentration in the groups where pregnancies were complicated by hypertension or hypertension and proteinuria. The study also confirms previous observations that plasma renin concentration and plasma renin activity are lower in pregnancies complicated by hypertension than in normal pregnancies. The one exception was the group of multigravidae with hypertension and proteinuria where the levels were higher after rest than in all other groups.