Primary aldosteronism

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Definition

Primary aldosteronism is a condition which your body's adrenal glands produce too much of the hormone aldosterone, causing you to retain sodium and lose potassium.

Sodium and potassium normally work together to help maintain the right balance of fluids in your body, transmit nerve impulses, and contract and relax your muscles. But excess aldosterone causes sodium retention, which in turn retains excess water, increasing your blood volume and blood pressure.

Doctors once considered primary aldosteronism rare. However, as screening for primary aldosteronism becomes more common, evidence is emerging that it may be responsible for as many as one in eight cases of high blood pressure.

Primary aldosteronism is more common in people with severe, uncontrolled high blood pressure. Treatment for primary aldosteronism depends on the underlying cause. Treatment options include medications, lifestyle modifications and surgery.

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Symptoms