Majority of patients with hypertension have primary hypertension (without an underlying cause). Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common cause of secondary hypertension, and can be found in 5-10% of patients locally. PA is caused by excessive release of a hormone (aldosterone) from the adrenal glands, which can be unilateral (one gland) or bilateral (both glands).
It has been shown that excess aldosterone has other harmful effects in addition to hypertension, such as directly affecting the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, leading to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This is supported by studies showing reversal of these effects after treatment for PA.
The investigators aim to assess the long-term cardiovascular, and renal outcomes of patients with PA, compared to patients with essential hypertension.
