Subsequent Development of Primary Aldosteronism After Negative Testing

Five years after a negative confirmatory test, 20% of patients with arterial hypertension had developed overt PA.

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a secondary cause of hypertension that is often treatable. The first diagnostic test used to screen for PA is an aldosterone-to-renin ratio. If this is abnormal, a confirmatory test is usually performed, the results of which are negative in approximately 50% to 70% of patients. In order to understand the future health outcomes of such individuals, investigators enrolled 184 patients with arterial hypertension and a previously abnormal elevated aldosterone-to-renin ratio followed by a negative confirmatory test.

After a mean follow-up of 5 years since the original negative confirmatory test, the patients were rescreened and then underwent either a seated saline infusion test or captopril challenge test for confir…

Reviewing Author

Karol E. Watson, MD, PhD, FACC

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBoehringer Ingelheim; Amgen; Novartis; Lilly; Amarin

Speaker’s BureauBoehringer Ingelheim

Grant/Research SupportNIH

Editorial BoardsCirculation (Associate Editor)