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Common cause of high blood pressure that is overlooked

2025-07-17 08:21:00, Shëndeti CNA

Doctors are routinely overlooking a common cause of high blood pressure, which is triggered by hormones, a new paper warns.

Up to 30% of high blood pressure patients who see heart specialists and 14% of those seen in primary care have a condition called primary aldosteronism, researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Despite this, many never get a blood test for this condition, in which the adrenal glands produce too much of the hormone aldosterone, the researchers said.

Others are tested years after their initial diagnosis of high blood pressure. By then, the condition has caused serious health complications, the researchers added.

“People with primary aldosteronism face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those with primary hypertension,” said lead author Dr. Gail Adler, an endocrinologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"With a low-cost blood test, we can identify more people who have primary aldosteronism and ensure they receive the appropriate treatment for the condition," she added in a press release.

The researchers said aldosterone helps balance sodium and potassium levels in the blood. Too high levels can cause people to lose potassium by retaining more sodium, resulting in increased blood pressure.

Research has shown that people with primary aldosteronism are nearly 2.6 times more likely to have a stroke; twice as likely to have heart failure; 3.5 times more likely to develop an abnormal heart rhythm; and 77% more likely to end up with heart disease, the researchers said in preliminary notes.

The guidelines provided in the new paper recommend that all those diagnosed with high blood pressure have their aldosterone levels checked and those with primary aldosteronism be given specific treatment for that condition.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, prescription medications are available to treat primary aldosteronism. They include spironolactone and eplerenone, which lower blood pressure and increase potassium levels. Doctors may also recommend surgery to remove one of the two adrenal glands if only one is producing too much aldosterone, the researchers said.

Patients are also asked to eat a balanced diet low in sodium and try to lose weight, Johns Hopkins said./ CNA