title: The effect of ageing on the plasma renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in elderly hypertensive patients.
abstract: Plasma renin activity, renin concentration and aldosterone concentration were measured in 78 untreated hypertensive patients aged 60-83 years. In a cross-sectional analysis, plasma renin activity, renin concentration and aldosterone concentration showed no relationship with age. Half of these patients were subsequently followed on placebo over a 3-year period during which the plasma constituents of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system remained stable. From these cross-sectional and longitudinal observations we conclude that beyond the age of 60 ageing has no detectable effect on plasma renin and aldosterone levels in these elderly hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, University of Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bielen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fagard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lijnen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amery
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System
chemical_list: D000450:Aldosterone; D012083:Renin