Variable effect of the post-partum menstrual cycle on aldosterone and renin in women with recent preeclampsia

• Published in: Journal of human hypertension 2024-09, Vol.38 (9), p.649-654
• Main Authors: Veldhuizen, Gregory P., Alnazer, Rawan M., Kroon, Abraham A., Spaanderman, Marc E. A., de Leeuw, Peter W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/499; 692/699/75/243/793; Aldosterone; Epidemiology; Health Administration; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Menstrual cycle; Menstruation; Pre-eclampsia; Preeclampsia; Pregnancy complications; Public Health; Renin
• ISSN: 1476-5527; 0950-9240; 1476-5527
• DOI: 10.1038/s41371-024-00926-1

The purpose of the present study is to identify the impact of the postpartum menstrual cycle on aldosterone, renin, and their ratio of women with and without a preeclamptic pregnancy in the past. To this end, we analysed the data from 59 women with a history of preeclampsia and 39 healthy parous controls. Five to seven months post-partum, we measured aldosterone, renin, and the aldosterone-to-renin ratio during both the follicular and the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. All measurements were taken in the supine position in the morning. Patients had maintained a standardized sodium diet in the week prior to the measurements. Our results show that in both post-partum women with recent preeclampsia and controls, average levels of renin and aldosterone are significantly elevated in the luteal phase as compared to the follicular phase. The aldosterone-to-renin ratio does not differ between the two phases in either group. Compared to controls, women with recent preeclampsia have significantly lower levels of renin, aldosterone, and aldosterone-to-renin ratio in the follicular phase. This remained consistent in the luteal phase, except for renin. A close correlation existed between the luteal and follicular aldosterone-to-renin ratio in the control group but not in the preeclampsia group. We conclude that both renin and aldosterone are significantly affected by the menstrual cycle whereas the resulting aldosterone-to-renin ratio is not. Post-partum women with recent preeclampsia tend to have lower values for aldosterone and the aldosterone-to-renin ratio than controls.