Failure of aspirin to antagonize the antihypertensive effect of spironolactone in low-renin hypertension

Abstract

Aspirin has been shown to acutely block the natriuretic effect of spironolactone in the mineralocorticoid-treated normal rat, dog, and man. It has been suggested that aspirin is contraindicated in hypertensive patients receiving spironolactone. Five patients with low-renin essential hypertension and two with hypertension due to primary aldosteronism, all of whom have normalized their blood pressure on chronic spironolactone therapy, were cotreated in a double-blind fashion with either aspirin or aspirin-placebo during alternate six-week periods. Aspirin did not appear to alter the effect of spironolactone on blood pressure, serum electrolytes, urea nitrogen, or plasma renin activity.