Long-term ambulatory follow-up of hypertension patients with low renin activity in blood

AIM: To characterize a clinical course of arterial hypertension in patients with low activity of blood renin. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 44 hypertensive patients with low activity of blood renin participated in the trial. They were divided into three groups consisting of 18, 14 and 12 patients (group 1, 2 and 3 with adrenal adenoma, adrenal hyperplasia and hypertension, respectively). RESULTS: Baseline hypertension was higher in group 1. The clinical picture did not differ much between the groups. Long-term follow-up has revealed that mean arterial pressure tended to lowering in groups 1 and 2 while in group 3 it tended to rise. Incidence of arrhythmia increased thrice though myasthenia became less frequent. CONCLUSION: Group 1 patients had a more severe clinical course of hypertension with high lethality and many associated diseases. To achieve a clinical effect, they had to take higher doses of antihypertensive drugs.