Plasma renin activity in coarctation of the aorta before and after surgical correction.

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Abstract
In 37 patients with coarctation of the aorta, arterial blood pressure and ambulant plasma renin activity (PRA) were determined before and, in 15 patients, after surgical correction. The systolic blood pressure was raised in all the cases and the diastolic pressure was raised in 30. Ambulant PRA was increased in 11 patients when compared with normal subjects of similar age. In 12 of the 15 surgery patients systolic pressure decreased after operation, 8 had raised PRA, and in 7 PRA fell to normal after surgery and blood pressure also fell; in 1 patient blood pressure did not fall. Correlation between the changes in blood pressure and PRA after operation was insignificant but the renin-angiotensin system may be activated and contribute to the hypertension in patients with aortic coarctation.