High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects over 1.5 billion people worldwide and is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Understanding what causes high blood pressure is essential to finding better ways to prevent and treat it.
A recent study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital has revealed a surprising contributor: a hormone called aldosterone.
Aldosterone is produced by the adrenal glands and helps regulate blood pressure by controlling the balance of sodium and potassium in the body. When too much aldosterone is produced, a condition known as primary aldosteronism occurs, which can lead to high blood pressure.
Until recently, this condition was considered rare, but new research suggests it may be much more common than doctors previously thought.
The researchers examined a wide range of patients, from those with normal blood pressure to those with stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension, as well as patients with resistant high blood pressure—meaning their condition doesn’t respond well to typical treatments.
What they found was a clear pattern: as blood pressure increased, so did the levels of aldosterone in the body.
Surprisingly, most cases of elevated aldosterone levels would not have been detected using current medical guidelines. This means that many people with high blood pressure may not realize that aldosterone is part of the problem.
This discovery is important because it suggests that primary aldosteronism is not a rare condition, but something that occurs across a wide range of blood pressure levels.
These findings could have a big impact on how we diagnose and treat high blood pressure. If doctors begin to check for aldosterone levels more regularly, they could offer more targeted treatments for people with high blood pressure caused by this hormone.
Fortunately, there are already affordable medications available called aldosterone antagonists that can block the harmful effects of aldosterone. These drugs are easy to access and could be used more often to help people lower their blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.
This study also highlights the need to rethink how we approach high blood pressure management. Traditionally, treatments have focused on lifestyle changes like reducing salt intake, losing weight, and exercising more, as well as medications to lower blood pressure.
While these methods are important, this research suggests that addressing aldosterone-related hypertension could be an effective strategy for many more people.
For those looking to manage their blood pressure, there are also other methods that have been shown to help, such as intermittent fasting and making certain dietary changes.
Additionally, accurately measuring blood pressure at home can be a valuable tool in tracking how well treatments are working.
This groundbreaking research, led by Dr. Jenifer M. Brown, was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and offers fresh insights into a condition that affects millions of people.
By recognizing aldosterone as a common cause of high blood pressure, we may be able to improve treatment strategies, helping more people manage their condition effectively and lowering their risk of serious health issues like heart disease and stroke.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and people with severe high blood pressure should reduce coffee intake.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing plant-based foods could benefit people with high blood pressure.
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