Effects of long-term administration of clonidine on plasma renin activity

Plasma renin activity (PRA) was studied before and during long-term treatment with moderate oral doses (0.2 or 0.3 mg/d) of clonidine. Nine outpatients with essential hypertension received clonidine for 12 weeks; a significant decrease in blood pressure was evident in all patients. Except for a nonsignificant increase after 12 weeks of treatment, PRA values were not notably changed by clonidine therapy. No correlation was found between individual blood pressure changes and PRA variation during the study. The absence of a net effect on PRA in this study does not exclude more complex interactions of clonidine with the renin-angiotensin system. Nonetheless, clonidine cannot generally be classified as a "renin-inhibiting" drug.