Laboratory medicine in arterial hypertension

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Internal Medicine
• Cardiology

Background:

• Laboratory medicine is essential for diagnosing and monitoring arterial hypertension (AH).
• Routine blood and urine tests aid in identifying primary hypertension and associated conditions like chronic kidney disease and organ damage.
• Laboratory data helps assess long-term cardiovascular event risks in hypertensive patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the integral role of laboratory medicine in the comprehensive management of arterial hypertension.
• To emphasize the impact of antihypertensive medications on laboratory test results.
• To underscore the importance of laboratory diagnostics in screening for secondary causes of hypertension, such as primary aldosteronism (PA).

Main Methods:

• Review of routine diagnostic laboratory tests for hypertension.
• Analysis of how common antihypertensive drugs (e.g., diuretics, ACE inhibitors, ARBs) can interfere with specific biomarkers.
• Evaluation of laboratory medicine's role in screening for primary aldosteronism (PA) using markers like the aldosterone-to-renin ratio.

Main Results:

• Laboratory tests are fundamental for AH diagnosis, monitoring, and risk stratification.
• Antihypertensive drugs can significantly alter laboratory values, necessitating careful interpretation.
• The aldosterone-to-renin ratio remains a key screening tool for PA, a common endocrine cause of secondary hypertension.

Conclusions:

• Laboratory medicine is indispensable throughout the hypertension care continuum: screening, diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis.
• Awareness of preanalytical and analytical factors influencing laboratory results is critical for accurate hypertension management.
• Understanding drug interference is vital for reliable laboratory interpretation in hypertensive patients, particularly when screening for secondary causes like PA.