Aldosterone Direct Renin Ratio

Since organs are likely to face significant consequences during common ailments like chronic hypertension, a renin test is helpful to check the functions of adrenal glands and analyze if the condition affects the body.

Usually, laboratory professionals check for renin and aldosterone levels together, so it is also called the aldosterone renin ratio test. Your physician may order these tests if the patient has a history of hypertension at an early age or if the blood pressure constantly remains high.

Renin is a vital enzyme synthesized in your kidney cells and is responsible for controlling blood pressure. As soon as your blood pressure drops due to lower salt concentrations, the renin concentration increases. This initiates a chain reaction in the body, further increasing the levels of angiotensin, which triggers adrenal glands to secrete aldosterone.

While angiotensin shrinks the blood vessels, aldosterone retains the salt and fluid. As a result, your blood pressure comes back to normal. Since these hormones are associated with the adrenal gland, the test is also known as the adrenal function test.

The test ultimately measures the levels of renin and aldosterone and analyses whether the levels are too low or too high. The results of the plasma renin activity test may reflect the following things about the body:

• Salt sensitivity: High renin and average aldosterone value
• Adrenal gland dysfunction: Low renin and high aldosterone value
• Kidney problem: High renin and high aldosterone value

Apollo 24|7 has a dedicated renin test panel that allows physicians to analyze the problem and give proper medications to help.

Since aldosterone is responsible for maintaining sodium and potassium levels in the kidney, its production is triggered by renin to bring back normal blood pressure levels. An abnormal level of renin or aldosterone could be a sign of dysfunction in adrenal glands or kidneys. The ratio between these two parameters is important and helps in the identification of conditions such as:

• Primary aldosteronism or Conn syndrome caused due to an excessive amount of aldosterone in the body
• Monitor the effects of high blood pressure on the body
• Assess the risk of stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure

While many physicians prescribe this plasma renin activity test to assess the overall functions of the kidney and adrenal gland, it is mainly helpful in determining the symptoms of Conn syndrome. People who must go for a renin test are:

• Someone with blood pressure who are not able to control their hypertension with regular medicines
• Individuals who want to confirm or rule out the possibility of Conn syndrome
• Anybody suffering from sodium and potassium imbalance
• People who have symptoms like cramps, weakness, fatigue, frequent urge to drink water, and unexplained headache

Taking the aldosterone renin ratio test is essential to protect other organs from being affected by the harmful consequences of high blood pressure.