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Problems in diagnostics of primary aldosteronism - analysis of the own data
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Abstract
Introduction: During the last few years, increasing evidence suggests that primary aldosteronism is the cause of over 10% of arterial hypertension (AH). There are no "gold standard" methods for PA screening. The aim of study was plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), and ARR assessment as criteria for diagnosis of PA and their usefulness in clinical practice.
Material and methods: Eighty-one consecutive patients were admitted for diagnosis of primary aldosteronism: 51 women and 30 men, aged 31-69 years. In each patient, PAC and PRA were evaluated by radioimmunoassay. In 65 patients, urine concentration of catecholamine metabolites was assayed, and in 51 patients, diagnostics for hypercortisolaemia was carried out. In patients with adrenal incidentaloma, 16-row computer tomography was performed.
Results: The proportion of patients with PAC over 150 pg/ml was 35% (n = 28). The number of patients with PRA under 0.07 ng/ml/h was 19 (n = 15). The ratio of patients whose values of ARR exceeded over 20, 30, 40, 50, and 180 were 55, 47, 37, 28, and 15%, respectively.
Conclusions: The most common indication for primary screening was the presence of incidentally found adrenal mass. The quotient of plasma aldosterone concentration/plasma renin activity at whichever cut-off point is not effective enough for the selection of patients for further diagnostics or its cessation.
(Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (1): 2-5)
Abstract
Introduction: During the last few years, increasing evidence suggests that primary aldosteronism is the cause of over 10% of arterial hypertension (AH). There are no "gold standard" methods for PA screening. The aim of study was plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), and ARR assessment as criteria for diagnosis of PA and their usefulness in clinical practice.
Material and methods: Eighty-one consecutive patients were admitted for diagnosis of primary aldosteronism: 51 women and 30 men, aged 31-69 years. In each patient, PAC and PRA were evaluated by radioimmunoassay. In 65 patients, urine concentration of catecholamine metabolites was assayed, and in 51 patients, diagnostics for hypercortisolaemia was carried out. In patients with adrenal incidentaloma, 16-row computer tomography was performed.
Results: The proportion of patients with PAC over 150 pg/ml was 35% (n = 28). The number of patients with PRA under 0.07 ng/ml/h was 19 (n = 15). The ratio of patients whose values of ARR exceeded over 20, 30, 40, 50, and 180 were 55, 47, 37, 28, and 15%, respectively.
Conclusions: The most common indication for primary screening was the presence of incidentally found adrenal mass. The quotient of plasma aldosterone concentration/plasma renin activity at whichever cut-off point is not effective enough for the selection of patients for further diagnostics or its cessation.
(Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (1): 2-5)
Keywords
aldosterone; renin; hypertension; primary aldosteronism
About this articleTitle
Problems in diagnostics of primary aldosteronism - analysis of the own data
Journal
Issue
Article type
Original paper
Pages
2-5
Published online
2010-03-04
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701
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Bibliographic record
Endokrynol Pol 2010;61(1):2-5.
Keywords
aldosterone
renin
hypertension
primary aldosteronism
Authors
Janusz Myśliwiec
Łukasz Żukowski
Anna Grodzka
Agata Piłaszewicz
Szymon Drągowski
Beata Piekut
Agnieszka Nikołajuk
Maria Górska
