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Introduction

Aldosterone is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which are located just above your kidneys. Aldosterone helps regulate the amount of sodium, potassium, and blood pressure in your body..

Some people develop benign tumors, called adenomas, in their adrenal glands that can begin to produce uncontrolled levels of aldosterone. This can cause high blood pressure, low potassium, and if untreated for a long time, heart disease and stroke. This disease is called primary aldosteronism (PA), and is the cause of about 5-10% of hypertension in the United States.

If only one nodule, or one adrenal gland, is responsible for the disease, the treatment can be surgery, which may result in cure. If both adrenal glands are affected, then the treatment of choice is a pill from the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist family (e.g. spironolactone or eplerenone).

At the NIH, we are interested in uncovering the "why" and "how"; namely, why and how do these tumors develop in the first place, and what are their other effects on the body? The genetics of these aldosterone-producing adenomas have been well studied in Caucasians and Asians, but not yet in Blacks/African Americans. We hope someday that the information obtained from this study will allow us to improve the diagnosis and medical treatments for individuals with PA

To get started:

  • Navigate through the menu to learn more about the study.
  • Log in to the application and fill out questionnaires.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.