genetics, poor diet, lack of exercise, and obesity.
Unfortunately closing the diagnosis and treatment gap has been difficult because many physicians don’t look for primary aldosteronism, which is very common. Additionally, screening tests are often tricky for doctors to interpret and miss a lot of cases. Research on aldosteronism also lags behind other diseases and primary care groups have declined to develop new guidelines. There are currently only a few health systems that have knowledgeable specialists that can provide care.
Nearly half of U.S. adults, or 116 million people, are classified as having high blood pressure causing experts to warn of a public health crisis hidden in plain sight. A widespread change in hypertension treatment is needed. Experts are calling on clinicians to increase their vigilance and prescribe drugs that block aldosterone’s effects.
Much like with Consuegra, clinicians often miss symptoms and patients are left to turn to Google, go from doctor to doctor or go undiagnosed for years.
“Unfortunately, I think my story is super-typical,” Consuegra says. Her frustrations have led her to start a patient Facebook group. “I don’t think anyone has had an easy road to diagnosis.”
This causes patients to be prescribed blood pressure medications that do little or no good. Patients also miss out on treatments that typically include surgery, low-salt diets and targeted drugs.
A misdiagnosis can increase the risk for health-related complications because excess aldosterone is toxic to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other organs. Those with primary aldosteronism have a greater risk of kidney disease, heart failure, coronaray artery disease, and stroke compared to patients with garden-variety hypertension.
“My personal frustration is seeing patients who’ve clearly had primary aldosteronism for more than a decade and now have