Adrenalectomy Improves Arterial Stiffness in Primary Aldosteronism

Abstract/Summary:

Aldosterone has been shown to substantially contribute to the accumulation of different types of collagen fibers and growth factors in the arterial wall, which increase wall stiffness. We previously showed that arterial wall stiffness is increased in primary aldosteronism (PA) independently of concomitant hypertension. This study was aimed at assessing the effects of specific treatment of PA on the arterial stiffness. Twenty-nine patients with confirmed PA (15 with aldosterone-producing adenoma treated by unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy, 14 treated with spironolactone (mainly idiopathic aldosteronism) were investigated by Sphygmocor applanation tonometer (using measurement of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AI)) at the time of the diagnosis and then ∼1 year after the specific treatment. Surgical but not conservative treatment of PA led to a significant decrease of BP and arterial stiffness parameters.

Authors: Branislav Štrauch, Ondřej Petrák, Tomáš Zelinka, Dan Wichterle, Robert Holaj, Mojmír Kasalický, Libor Šafařík, Ján Rosa, Jiří Widimský Jr
Keywords: adrenalectomy, arterial stiffness
DOI Number: 10.1038/ajh.2008.243      Publication Year: 2008

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