Blood pressure is often variable due to natural fluctuations and changes in healthy individuals. However high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, can become a long term disorder due to factors such as stress and obesity. Hypertension is a serious condition as it is a major risk factor in heart attacks and strokes, as well as causing renal failure.

Long term hypertension is greatly affected by the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS). RAAS is a negative feedback system, which regulates blood pressure and sodium homeostasis. The enzyme renin is secreted in the kidneys and stimulates the increase of Angiotensin I. Angiotensin I is a product of angiotensinogen which is secreted by the liver and broken down by renin. Angiotensin I is converted into the vasoactive angiotensin II by Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE). Angiotensin II acts directly to narrow the blood vessels and stimulates the adrenal gland to produce aldosterone, a hormone which acts on the kidney’s to increase the re-absorption of sodium.

Increased water and salt retention caused by aldosterone, sends an inhibitory signal to the kidneys to reduce renin secretion. Measurement of direct renin is used to evaluate RAAS activity and hypertension.

Our range of hypertension marker antibodies includes the following, all available in bulk for hypertension assays.

Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex, involved in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, electrolyte and water distribution. Cortisol measurements are used as a direct monitor of adrenal status and an indirect measure of pituitary function. Elevated cortisol levels may be associated with adrenal or pituitary tumors. Abnormal cortisol concentrations may indicate generalized adrenal hypofunction or a defect in the metabolic pathway for cortisol synthesis.