• Yuta Tezuka and Adina F Turcu.
• From the (1)Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and; Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
• Endocr Pract. 2020 Dec 1; 26 (12): 1416-1424.

ObjectiveMineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) are effective in patients with resistant hypertension and/or primary aldosteronism (PA). Screening for PA should ideally be conducted after stopping medications that might interfere with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, but this is challenging in patients with recalcitrant hypertension or hypokalemia. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the impact of MRAs on PA screening in clinical practice.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with hypertension who had plasma aldosterone and renin measurements before and after MRA use in a tertiary referral center, over 19 years.ResultsA total of 146 patients, 91 with PA, were included and followed for up to 18 months. Overall, both plasma renin and aldosterone increased after MRA initiation (from median, interquartile range: 0.5 [0.1, 0.8] to 1.2 [0.6, 4.8] ng/mL/hour and from 19.1 [12.9, 27.7] to 26.4 [17.1, 42.3] ng/dL, respectively; P<.0001 for both), while the aldosterone/renin ratio (ARR) decreased from 40.3 (18.5, 102.7) to 23.1 (8.6, 58.7) ng/dL per ng/mL/hour (P<.0001). Similar changes occurred irrespective of the MRA treatment duration and other antihypertensives used. Positive PA screening abrogation after MRA initiation was found in 45/94 (48%) patients. Conversely, 17% of patients had positive PA screening only after MRA treatment, mostly due to correction of hypokalemia. An initially positive screening test was more likely altered by high MRA doses and more likely persistent in patients with confirmed PA or taking beta-blockers.ConclusionMRAs commonly reduce ARR and the proportion of positive PA screening results. When PA is suspected, screening should be repeated off MRAs.AbbreviationsACEI = angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB = angiotensin receptor blocker; ARR = aldosterone/renin ratio; DRC = direct renin concentration; MRA = mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist; PA = primary aldosteronism; PAC = plasma aldosterone concentration; PRA = plasma renin activity; RAAS = renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.© 2020 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Published by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

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