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Factors correlated with plasma renin activity in general Japanese population

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Abstract

Background

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system plays a pivotal role in regulation of blood pressure and electrolyte homeostasis and is a target in the treatment of hypertension and renal diseases. However, the factors correlated with plasma renin activity (PRA) are unclarified in general Japanese population. To examine this point, we conducted a community-based cross-sectional study.

Methods

Subjects of this study were 2,056 individuals (mean age, 61 years; 934 men; 1,122 women) over 40-year-old without antihypertensive medication in Takahata town, Japan. PRA was measured by radioimmunoassay. Estimated 24-h urine sodium (e24hUNa) and potassium excretion were calculated from morning spot urine.

Results

The median value of PRA was higher in men compared to women (1.1 ng/ml/h vs. 0.7 ng/ml/h, P < 0.001). The increased PRA (>2.0 ng/ml/h) were detected in 248 men (26.3%) and 142 women (12.7%). One-factor analysis of variance showed that PRA was correlated with blood pressure, uric acid, hemoglobin, total protein, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum adiponectin and e24hUNa in men. In women, PRA was correlated with age, blood pressure, total protein, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), serum insulin, e24hUNa and obesity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that high PRA (>2.0 ng/ml/h) was independently associated with low blood pressures, low e24UNa and high serum total protein both in men and women, smoking only in men and high HDL-C only in women, respectively.

Conclusions

This study revealed that PRA was higher in men than women and was associated negatively with blood pressures and urine sodium excretion, and positively with total protein, smoking and HDL-C in Japanese population.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by from the 21st Century Center of Excellence (COE) Program and global COE of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Nephrology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2, Iida-Nishi, Yamagata, 990-9585, Japan

    Hiroshi Abiko, Tsuneo Konta, Zhimei Hao, Satoshi Takasaki, Kazuko Suzuki, Kazunobu Ichikawa, Ami Ikeda, Yoko Shibata & Isao Kubota

  2. The First Department of Internal Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan

    Yasuchika Takeishi

  3. Department of Gastroenterology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan

    Sumio Kawata

  4. Department of Neurology, Hematology, Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan

    Takeo Kato

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  1. Hiroshi Abiko
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  2. Tsuneo Konta
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Correspondence to Tsuneo Konta.

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Abiko, H., Konta, T., Hao, Z. et al. Factors correlated with plasma renin activity in general Japanese population. Clin Exp Nephrol 13, 130–137 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-008-0114-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-008-0114-x

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