MRA
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Magnetic resonance angiography |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical |
MRA has two meanings. It stands for Magnetic resonance angiography (medical imaging) or Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (drug class).
Meanings of MRA at a glance
| # | MRA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magnetic resonance angiography | Medical › Medical Imaging |
| 2 | Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist | Medical › Drug Class |
1. Magnetic resonance angiography
Medical · Medical Imaging Abbreviations
MRI technique for imaging blood vessels, used to look for aneurysms, narrowing (stenosis), dissections and vascular malformations in the brain, neck, kidneys and legs. Some methods, such as time-of-flight, need no contrast at all, while contrast-enhanced MRA uses a gadolinium injection.
Example: MRA head: 4 mm aneurysm at the left MCA bifurcation; neurosurgery referral placed.
Time-of-flight MRA relies on the signal of flowing blood, which helps patients who cannot receive contrast, though it can overstate the degree of narrowing. Compared with CT angiography, MRA avoids radiation and iodinated contrast but takes longer and is more affected by patient motion. Orders specify the region, as in MRA head or MRA neck.
2. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist
Medical · Drug Class Abbreviations
Drugs that block aldosterone at its receptor, including spironolactone, eplerenone and finerenone. They improve survival in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and treat resistant hypertension, primary aldosteronism and, with finerenone, diabetic kidney disease.
Example: Add MRA (spironolactone 25 mg daily); K 4.2, eGFR 58; recheck labs in 1 week.
The RALES trial (1999) showed spironolactone cut deaths by about 30 percent in severe heart failure. High potassium is the main risk, especially with ACE inhibitors and kidney disease. Spironolactone can cause breast enlargement in men, which eplerenone and finerenone rarely do. In radiology MRA means magnetic resonance angiography.
Related abbreviations
More medical imaging abbreviations
- LI-RADS – Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System
- Lung-RADS – Lung CT Screening Reporting and Data System
- MBS – Modified barium swallow
- MR – Magnetic resonance
- MRI – Magnetic resonance imaging
- MRV – Magnetic resonance venography
- NCCT – Non-contrast computed tomography
- OPG – Orthopantomogram
See all 58 medical imaging abbreviations →
More drug class abbreviations
- LTRA – Leukotriene receptor antagonist
- mAb – Monoclonal antibody
- MAOI – Monoamine oxidase inhibitor
- MHT – Menopausal hormone therapy
- mTORi – Mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor
- NAI – Neuraminidase inhibitor
- NaSSA – Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant
- NDRI – Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor
See all 113 drug class abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.