LINKS TO DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT PRIMARY ALDOSTERONISM

We are not responsible for the accuracy of information presented in these links.
Consult a medical professional for medical advice.

These links are organized to provide you with access to information ranging from introductory and very general, to advanced, in-depth studies written by doctors and scientists for their peers.

As of September 22, 2007, we are showing the date a link is added. This will help return visitors find information they haven’t seen. NOTE: “Date Added” means just that; it has nothing to do with the publication date of the linked material. Items more recently added have been chosen for relevance and interest only, and may actually be older than previously added items.

We recommend that you start with this link to an interview with Associate Professor Michael Stowasser, Director of the Hypertension Unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, and Co-Director of the Endocrine Hypertension Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, conducted on April 23, 2007 on ABC Radio in Australia. This interview is an excellent introduction to current information about Primary Aldosteronism.
http://abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/stories/2007/1905376.htm
 

This article, by Dr. Richard D Gordon, is perhaps the very best overview of Primary Aldosteronism we’ve seen. It’s reasonably brief, and is well-written for both the physician and the Primary Aldosteronism patient. Of particular interest to physicians is a table of guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of Primary Aldosteronism. The author also gives us an historical perspective of Conn’s Syndrome/Primary Aldosteronism, which is very important in understanding why there is such a “sudden” interest in a disease that has been known for more than 50 years. Additionally, it includes references to other articles which may be of interest. Dr. Gordon concludes with this advice to physicians: “Yes, screening your next normokalemic hypertensive patient for PAL (Primary Aldosteronism) is definitely worthwhile.”
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/abem/v48n5/a12v48n5.pdf
 

Another excellent general overview of Primary Aldosteronism from the Mayo Clinic. This hospital is one of the foremost centers for the treatment and research of Primary Aldosteronism in the USA :
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/primary-aldosteronism/DS00563
 

Studies on five continents: These independent studies done on five continents between 1993 and 2000 tested populations from diverse genotypes and ethnicities for Primary Aldosteronism. The results of the individual studies are remarkably similar, demonstrating conclusively the global nature of Primary Aldosteronism.
http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/89/3/1045?ck=nck

A description of the testing procedures used to diagnose Primary Aldosteronism. Of particular interest is a table that shows which combinations of low, high and normal levels of Aldosterone, Renin and Cortisol are associated with several different diagnoses. Note that they call the condition “Primary Hyperaldosteronism”. It’s the same thing. They also don’t mention normal potassium levels in most Primary Aldosteronism patients. The information is otherwise excellent:
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/aldosterone/test.html

An extremely comprehensive article about Primary Aldosteronism by Dr. W. F. Young at the Mayo Clinic. If there’s more depth here than you need, you may still find parts of this article to be helpful. For example, there’s a simple chart that illustrates the process of qualifying a patient for Primary Aldosteronism screening:
http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/144/6/2208.

Another article by Dr. W. F. Young, this one about the 24 hour urinalysis test for Primary Aldosteronism:
http://www.annalsnyas.org/cgi/content/abstract/970/1/61?ck=nck

A study about the link between Aldosteronism and anxiety has just been published. We’ll be watching this development with great interest. When you follow this link, be sure to scroll down to read the text. Other interesting references to Aldosterone and Anxiety can be found by entering, “aldosterone anxiety” (without quotes) into a search engine
http://www.anxietyinsights.info/italians_find_panic_key.htm

Aldosterone blocking medication may help control your hypertension, even if you do not have Primary Aldosteronism. This article is from the American family Physician:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040215/steps.html

ADDED: September 22, 2007 - This article was written to describe the effectiveness of Inspra (Eplerenone) in treating post- Myocardial Infarction heart patients. It is relevent to physicians seeking dosage guidelines for this Aldosterone-Blocking medication. Of particular interest is the Table 3, which has guidelines and recommended testing procedures for determining a patient’s suitability for beginning Eplerenone therapy, as well as continuing it in light of possible hyperkalemia and other factors.
http://www.ccjm.org/PDFFILES/Pitt3_06.pdf

ADDED: September 24, 2007: A study of Primary Aldosteronism’s long-term effects on the heart. It compares the relative benefits of Adrenalectomy and Medication (Eplerenone/Spironolactone). It’s clear that both treatments can improve both quality and length of life.
 http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/short/HYPERTENSIONAHA.107.095448v1

ADDED: October 3, 2007: A short article which recommends that patients who show up for emergency treatment at an ER in Hypertensive crisis be screened for Primary Aldosteronism, given the prevalence of this disease once considered rare.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/539171

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