Primary aldosteronism: Practical recommendations for treatment and follow-up

Abstract

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common cause of secondary arterial hypertension. For unilateral cases, surgery offers the possibility of cure, with unilateral adrenalectomy being the treatment of choice, whereas bilateral forms of PA are treated mainly with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA). The goals of treatment for PA due to either unilateral or bilateral adrenal disease include reversal of the adverse cardiovascular effects of hyperaldosteronism, normalization of serum potassium in patients with hypokalemia, and normalization of blood pressure. The Primary Aldosteronism Surgery Outcome group (PASO) published a study defining clinical and biochemical outcomes based on blood pressure and correction of hypokalemia and aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR) levels for patients undergoing total unilateral adrenalectomy for unilateral PA. In this review, we provide several practical recommendations for the medical and surgical management and follow-up of patients with PA.