Screening for Primary Aldosteronism Is Rare

Primary aldosteronism is estimated to be present in about 5% to 10% of people with hypertension. Many guidelines recommend screening for primary aldosteronism in patients with resistant hypertension, accomplished by evaluating the aldosterone to plasma renin activity. But what percentage of these patients are getting appropriate evaluations? Investigators used Stanford University electronic health record data to determine screening rates in their health system for primary aldosteronism among people with resistant hypertension.

Resistant hypertension was defined as treatment with ≥4 antihypertensive drug classes or a diagnosis of hypertension plus treatment with ≥3 antihypertensive drug classes, including a diuretic. The investigators exclude…