Plasma renin activity in normal healthy volunteers: effect of physiological variables

Plasma renin activity was determined in hundred normal subjects of either sex (M = 65, F = 35, age range 2-70 yr) using Angiotensin-I test kits. The effect of various physiological variables viz, age, sex, posture and salt intake was determined. The basal values for PRA ranged from 1.19 +/- 0.09 ng/ml/hr for males and 1.02 +/- 0.12 ng/ml/hr for females in erect posture. In contrast high basal supine PRA was noticed in subjects on low salt diet, which showed a significant increase in erect posture. A marked decrease in PRA with advancing age in both the sexes with significantly low values at higher age range was noticed. Captopril produced an insignificant effect on PRA and BP in salt replete supine state, whereas in salt deplete state there was a significant rise in both the parameters.