A 65-Year-Old Woman with a 10-Year History of Essential Hypertension

A 65-year-old woman with a 10-year history of essential hypertension visits her physician for an examination. Laboratory test results indicate that the patient has a plasma rennin activity 2-3 times higher than normal. The patient is given a prescription for an angiotensin I receptor blocker (ARB) . Which one of the following would you expect to occur in this patient following administration of the ARB?

A) Increase in total peripheral resistance
B) Increase in arterial pressure
C) Increase in plasma renin activity
D) Increase in aldosterone
E) Decrease in kidney's ability to excrete sodium