Scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have found that a hormone called aldosterone may play a much bigger role in high blood pressure than doctors once believed.
This new research shows that many cases of high blood pressure might be caused by high levels of this hormone—even when it’s not being detected by current medical tests.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects over 1.5 billion people worldwide. It’s one of the leading causes of heart disease and stroke. One known cause of high blood pressure is a condition called primary aldosteronism. This happens when the adrenal glands, located above the kidneys, produce too much aldosterone.
Aldosterone is a hormone that helps control how the body balances salt and water. When there’s too much of it, the body keeps too much salt and water, which raises blood pressure. If not treated, this can lead to heart problems.
Doctors have long thought that primary aldosteronism was a rare condition. But the new study shows it may be much more common.
Researchers looked at people with different levels of blood pressure—some had normal levels, while others had mild, moderate, or severe high blood pressure. They found that as blood pressure rose, aldosterone levels also increased.
This means that excess aldosterone is likely linked to how severe a person’s high blood pressure is. Even more surprising, most people with high aldosterone levels would not be diagnosed using today’s standard medical guidelines.
This suggests that many people with high blood pressure may actually have undetected primary aldosteronism—and they may not be getting the right treatment.
The researchers believe it’s time to stop calling primary aldosteronism a rare disease. Instead, they say it should be seen as a common cause of high blood pressure. If doctors start checking for high aldosterone levels more often, they could help many patients find a treatable cause of their condition.
The good news is that medications already exist to block the effects of aldosterone. These drugs are called aldosterone blockers, and they’re affordable and widely available. The study’s findings suggest that more people with high blood pressure could benefit from these medications, possibly lowering their risk of heart disease and stroke.
This important study was led by Dr. Jenifer M. Brown and was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. It could change how doctors think about and treat high blood pressure, potentially helping millions of people around the world live longer, healthier lives.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about why checking blood pressure while lying down is very important and lowering top blood pressure number to less than 120 mm Hg effectively prevents heart disease.
For more about blood pressure, please read studies that turmeric and vitamin D may boost blood pressure control in type 2 diabetes and scientists find link between blood pressure drugs and bowel diseases.
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