Aldosterone and Renin
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- Also Known As:
- Aldosterone and Plasma Renin Activity
- PRA
- Formal Name:
- Aldosterone
- Serum Aldosterone
- Urine Renin

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At a Glance
Why Get Tested?
To determine if your aldosterone and renin levels are abnormal, to help diagnose a hormonal (endocrine) disorder such as primary aldosteronism (PA, Conn syndrome).
Sample Required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm or a 24-hour urine sample; sometimes at specialized medical centers, blood from the kidney (renal) or adrenal veins is also collected.
Test Preparation Needed?
For a blood aldosterone and renin measurement, the healthcare practitioner may ask you to be upright or lying down (e.g., for 15-30 minutes) prior to drawing blood. You may also be instructed to avoid certain foods, beverages, or medications before the test. Follow any instructions you are given.
You may be able to find your test results on your laboratory’s website or patient portal. However, you are currently at Testing.com. You may have been directed here by your lab’s website in order to provide you with background information about the test(s) you had performed. You will need to return to your lab’s website or portal, or contact your healthcare practitioner in order to obtain your test results.
Testing.com is an award-winning patient education website offering information on laboratory tests. The content on the site, which has been reviewed by laboratory scientists and other medical professionals, provides general explanations of what results might mean for each test listed on the site, such as what a high or low value might suggest to your healthcare practitioner about your health or medical condition.
The reference ranges for your tests can be found on your laboratory report. They are typically found to the right of your results.
If you do not have your lab report, consult your healthcare provider or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range.
Laboratory test results are not meaningful by themselves. Their meaning comes from comparison to reference ranges. Reference ranges are the values expected for a healthy person. They are sometimes called “normal” values. By comparing your test results with reference values, you and your healthcare provider can see if any of your test results fall outside the range of expected values. Values that are outside expected ranges can provide clues to help identify possible conditions or diseases.
While accuracy of laboratory testing has significantly evolved over the past few decades, some lab-to-lab variability can occur due to differences in testing equipment, chemical reagents, and techniques. This is a reason why so few reference ranges are provided on this site. It is important to know that you must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are “within normal limits.”
For more information, please read the article Reference Ranges and What They Mean.
What is being tested?
Aldosterone is a hormone that plays an important role in maintaining normal sodium and potassium concentrations in blood and in controlling blood volume and blood pressure. Renin is an enzyme that controls aldosterone production. These tests measure the levels of aldosterone and renin in the blood and/or the level of aldosterone in urine.
Aldosterone is produced by the adrenal glands located at the top of each kidney, in their outer portion (called the adrenal cortex). Aldosterone stimulates the retention of sodium (salt) and the elimination of potassium by the kidneys. Renin is produced by the kidneys and controls the activation of the hormone angiotensin, which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce aldosterone.
The kidneys release renin when there is a drop in blood pressure or a decrease in sodium chloride concentration in the tubules in the kidney. Renin cleaves the blood protein angiotensinogen to form angiotensin I, which is then converted by a second enzyme to angiotensin II. Angiotensin II causes blood vessels to constrict, and it stimulates aldosterone production. Overall, this raises blood pressure and keeps sodium and potassium at normal levels.
A variety of conditions can lead to aldosterone overproduction (hyperaldosteronism, usually just called aldosteronism) or underproduction (hypoaldosteronism). Since renin and aldosterone are so closely related, both substances are often tested together to identify the cause of an abnormal aldosterone.
How is the sample collected for testing?
A blood sample is drawn by needle from a vein in the arm to measure blood aldosterone and/or renin. Some healthcare practitioners prefer 24-hour urine collection for aldosterone since blood aldosterone levels vary throughout the day and are affected by position. In some cases, blood is collected from the renal (for renin) or adrenal (for aldosterone) veins by insertion of a catheter; this is done in the hospital at major medical centers by a specially trained radiologist.
Is any test preparation needed to ensure the quality of the sample?
For a blood aldosterone and renin measurement, the healthcare practitioner may ask you to be upright or lying down for a period of time (e.g., 15-30 minutes) prior to sample collection. You may also be instructed to avoid certain beverages, foods, or medications before the test. Follow any instructions you are given.
Common Questions
View Sources
Sources Used in Current Review
2016 review performed by Ron Haas, PhD DABCC.
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(January 2, 2014) Mayo Clinic. Primary aldosteronism. Available online at http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/primary-aldosteronism/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20030194. Accessed October 2016.
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(2008 September). The Hormone Foundation’s Patient Guide to Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Primary Aldosteronism. The Hormone Foundation [On-line information]. PDF available for download at http://www.hormone.org/Resources/Patient_Guides/upload/detection-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-primary-aldosteronism-122208.pdf. Accessed July 2009.
Mayo Clinic Staff (2009 January 6). Primary aldosteronism. MayoClinic.com [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/primary-aldosteronism/DS00563/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print. Accessed July 2009.
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(Updated by Nancy J. Rennert, July 26, 2011.) MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Hypoaldersteronism-primary and secondary. Available online at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000330.htm. Accessed on Jan. 4, 2013.
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