Summary
β-Blockers can affect renal release of renin and suppress plasma renin activity (PRA), particularly in the upright posture. This property is not limited to propranolol and non-selective β-blockers: prompt and lasting depression of PRA can also be exerted by atenolol.
The problem of the relation between the renin-suppressive and the antihypertensive actions of β-blockers is one that has been highly debated in recent years. It is concluded that, while in monotherapy the antihypertensive action of the β-blocker is most often independent of its effects on renin, in patients receiving renin-stimulating drugs, such as diuretics or vasodilators, a renin-dependent mechanism may sometimes account, in pan or entirely, for the antihypertensive action of β-blockers.
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Zanchetti, A., Leonetti, G., Terzoli, L. et al. β-Blockers and Renin. Drugs 25 (Suppl 2), 58–63 (1983). https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-198300252-00011
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-198300252-00011