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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Your adrenal glands produce a number of essential hormones. One of these is aldosterone, which balances sodium and potassium in your blood. In primary aldosteronism, your adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone, causing you to lose potassium and retain sodium. The excess sodium in turn holds onto water, increasing your blood volume and blood pressure.
Doctors once considered primary aldosteronism rare. But as screening for primary aldosteronism becomes more common, it appears that the condition may be responsible for a number of cases of high blood pressure, especially those that are severe and hard to control.
Treatment for primary aldosteronism depends on the underlying cause. Options for people with primary aldosteronism include medications, lifestyle modifications and surgery.
Symptoms- Funder JW, et al. Case detection, diagnosis and treatment of patients with primary aldosteronism: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2008;(93):3266-3281.
- Gomez-Sanchez CE, et al. Three perspectives on aldosterone's role in cardiovascular disease: Salt's not the only bad guy. The Endocrine Society. http://www.endo-society.org/endo_news/tri_point/upload/Tri-Point-Series-June-2005-EN.pdf. Accessed Sept. 25, 2008.
- Young WF, et al. Clinical features of primary aldosteronism. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 25, 2008.
- Hyperaldosteronism. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch153/ch153f.html. Accessed Sept. 25, 2008.
- Sechi LA. Long-term renal outcomes in patients with primary aldosteronism. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2006;295(22):2638-2645.
- Young WF, et al. Treatment of primary aldosteronism. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 25, 2008.
- Aldosterone and renin. Lab Tests Online. http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/aldosterone/test.html. Accessed Sept. 28, 2008.
- Young WF, et al. Clinical features of primary aldosteronism. http://www.uptodate.com/online/content/topic.do?topicKey=adrenal/19130&selectedTitle=3~56&source=search_result. Accessed Nov. 28, 2008.
- Young WF, et al. Treatment of primary aldosteronism. http://www.uptodate.com/online/content/topic.do?topicKey=adrenal/19430&selectedTitle=2~56&source=search_result. Accessed Nov. 28, 2008.
