Hypoaldosteronism is a deficiency of aldosterone, which can cause high potassium levels and may be caused by problems with the adrenal gland, certain medications, kidney failure, or diabetes. Treatment involves identifying the underlying cause and providing aldosterone therapy to stabilize hormone levels.
Hypoaldosteronism is a deficiency of aldosterone, a steroid hormone normally produced by the adrenal gland. In patients with hypoaldosteronism, the production of other hormones in the adrenal gland may be normal, with only this hormone out of balance, depending on the cause. To treat this condition, a physician must find out why the patient is experiencing a deficiency and develop an appropriate treatment plan to address low aldosterone levels and their underlying cause. Patients may have hypoaldosteronism with no obvious symptoms, especially in the early stages.
Aldosterone is involved in the process of regulating the balance of salt and potassium retained and excreted by the kidneys. A key sign of hypoaldosteronism is very high potassium levels. The patient may have hyporeninemic aldosteronism, in which the production of an enzyme known as renin in the kidneys is less than usual, or the hyperreninemic form, in which the kidneys continue to produce this enzyme in normal concentrations. A doctor will determine what type of patient he has in the process of developing a diagnosis and in determining the impact of the deficiency on kidney function.
One potential cause is a problem with the adrenal gland. Some medications can also lead to low aldosteronism, including medications used to control blood pressure. Kidney failure and severe kidney disease are also potential causes. Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of hypoaldosteronism, especially if their condition is poorly controlled. Chronic disease in general can also make people more susceptible to complications such as hypoaldosteronism due to the stress on the metabolism.
A doctor can identify the deficiency by looking at hormone concentrations in the blood and checking other blood chemistry levels such as sodium and potassium to gather more information potentially relevant to diagnoses. Aldosterone therapy can be provided to bring levels of this hormone back to normal. This should stabilize the patient’s potassium levels and may also help address blood pressure issues, as aldosterone is involved in blood pressure regulation.
The underlying cause should also be identified and treated if possible. This may require changing medications to get the patient off a drug known to cause hypoaldosteronism, evaluating the patient for adrenal gland disease, or developing a new diabetes treatment plan to better control and monitor the disease. If the cause is not treated, the patient will continue to experience hormonal imbalances and may develop complications if the underlying disease is progressive in nature.
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