View clinical trials related to Primary Hyperaldosteronism.
Filter by:High blood pressure (hypertension) causes strokes and heart attacks. While most patients need long-term treatment with pills, some have a cause which can be removed, curing the hypertension. The commonest curable cause is a benign nodule in one of the hormone glands, the adrenals. About one in 20 patients have such a nodule, but difficulties with diagnosis, and reluctance to proceed to surgery for a benign condition, limit the number having adrenal gland surgery to fewer than 300 per year in the UK. A potential, and exciting, solution to this dilemma is to use a momentary electric current to cauterise the nodule (radiofrequency ablation), without affecting the rest of the adrenal gland, and avoiding the need for surgery. Nodules in the left adrenal gland are easily reached under mild sedation using a similar procedure as is standard for investigating stomach ulcers (endoscopy). The study is designed to show that this approach (endoscopic ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation) is very safe, and to provide initial evidence that the hormone abnormality is cured.
Animal models have demonstrated the role of aldosterone in left ventricular remodeling involving fibrosis, apoptosis and hypertrophy. Myocardial fibrosis is a risk factor for serious arrhythmia and sudden death in ischemic and idiopathic hypertrophic heart disease. It is accepted that patients with primary aldosteronism have a higher prevalence of LV hypertrophy , arterial involvement and increased cardiovascular risk. In humans, a link has been demonstrated between aldosterone and heart failure as well as the benefit of the administration of an anti -aldosterone drug to lower mortality in this population , regardless of blood pressure level . The administration of spironolactone ( aldosterone ) in hypertensive rats has prevented the occurrence of aortic fibrosis . Plasma aldosteronism in humans has been associated with inflammation, fibrosis and aortic stiffness . However, primary aldosteronism is generally associated with so-called secondary hypertension . Chronic hypertension alone is a recognized etiological factor of myocardial hypertrophy ( myocardial fibrosis very advanced ) . The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of MRI hyperaldosteronism on the heart.
The study will investigate 27 hour profiles of hormones in the subcutaneous tissue of healthy subjects and patients with Addison's, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Growth Hormone Deficiency, acromegaly, Cushings and Primary Hyperaldosteronism during conventional diagnostic and therapeutic follow-up. The 27 hour monitoring by ULTRADIAN takes into account the rhythm of hormones throughout the day. It is hoped that this information may in the future improve and simplify diagnostic procedures. Follow-up of patients in endocrinology still remains difficult including clinical signs of over and under-treatment, questionnaires of quality of life and blood testing necessitating often retesting. Simplification of the diagnostic procedure by obtaining detailed knowledge about the rhythm of hormones may contribute to the improvement and individualization of treatment and may decrease morbidity and mortality of endocrine patients.
Patients with primary hyperaldosteronism experience more cardiovascular events compared to patients with primary hypertension, independent of the blood pressure level. In this research we hypothesize that patients with primary hyperaldosteronism are more susceptible to ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Aldosterone is a hormone produced in the adrenals that helps regulate the salt balance and blood pressure. Primary hyperaldosteronism is one of the main endocrine causes of secondary hypertension. The overproduction of aldosteron might in some cases be due to unilateral hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex or a unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma. In these cases the adrenal can be removed and the patient cured of hypertension. The clinical evaluation of patients with confirmed primary hyperaldosteronism therefore includes selective sampling of blood from the adrenal veins to determine lateralization of overproduction. This is executed as an interventional radiological procedure. The adrenal vein sampling is challenging, and success is determined by measuring another adrenal hormone named cortisol in the blood samples as a marker of a correctly drawn sample. By routine laboratory assays the procedure is evaluated after the patient has been discharged from the hospital. In the study a rapid assay of cortisol will be evaluated, allowing the radiologist to draw new samples during the same procedure if the first set of samples is unsuccessful. The study hypothesis is that intraoperative measurement of cortisol is a useful tool to evaluate successful sampling, and that fewer patients will need a repeated procedure.
Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most frequent form of secondary hypertension. It is caused by autonomous secretion of aldosterone, encompassing a group of disorders which is for 99% predominated by unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH). Diagnosis of PA is relevant for two reasons: 1. independent of the level of blood pressure, hypertension due to autonomous aldosterone secretion causes more cardiovascular damage than essential hypertension; 2. PA requires specific treatment: adrenalectomy in case of APA and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) in case of BAH. Although previously presumed a rare condition (prevalence <1%), PA is now estimated to affect 6 to 20% of the hypertensive population. Given this high prevalence of PA, as well as the amount of cardiovascular damage and the available specific treatment, the question is raised whether screening of PA should be introduced in Dutch general practice. To answer this important question, several issues with regard to PA need to be elucidated: 1. International studies report a prevalence of PA in general practice of 6-13%. Prevalence in the Dutch population is still unknown; 2. Because of underdiagnosis of PA and long delay in diagnosis of PA after recognition of hypertension (mean eight years), data on characteristics of early diagnosed PA are lacking. Proof of early cardiovascular damage would strengthen the case of screening for PA and needs to be studied; 3. Consequently, the diagnostic delay has lead to lack of data on optimal treatment in early PA. In the current guideline (NHG-guideline 'Cardiovascular risk management') a regimen of antihypertensive drugs is advised, and only if hypertension is refractory for >6 months patients are referred. It is unknown if hypertension is resistant to therapy in the initial phase of PA. If not, this would also argue for early biochemical screening for PA, because even if blood pressure is controlled, the detrimental effect of aldosterone itself will go on unopposed. It is therefore required to study the response to antihypertensive drugs (not MRA) in these patients.
Rationale: Primary hyperaldosteronism (PA) is the most frequent and possibly curable form of secondary hypertension. The diagnosis and targeted treatment of PA is essential because of high vascular morbidity associated with PA as compared to essential hypertension with comparable blood pressure levels. PA is usually caused by either a unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) or by bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH). Distinction between APA and BAH is critical since the former may be cured by adrenalectomy, and the latter needs life-long medical therapy with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA). Studies demonstrate that adrenalectomy benefits also BAH patients with dominant nodule(s) producing the most of aldosterone excess. The distinction between unilateral and bilateral PA can be made by adrenal vein sampling (AVS), as recommended by The Endocrine Society 2008 guideline. Currently, in Finland the diagnosis is based on computed tomography (CT) scanning which does not distinguish between aldosterone-producing and common non-functioning adrenal nodules and has limited accuracy detecting small adrenal masses. Since AVS is invasive, dependent on skilled radiologist and costly, there is a need for an accurate, non-invasive functional imaging such as 11C-metomidate positron emission tomography (MTO-PET). Objective: To assess diagnostic ability of MTO-PET as compared to AVS in PA. Secondary objectives: To compare if standardized uptake values (SUVs)in MTO-PET imaging are similar in histologically diagnosed nodular hyperplasia versus adenoma. To assess the diagnostic accuracy of adrenal CT as compared to MTO-PET and AVS. To assess the complete and partial remission rates (blood pressure response expressed in Daily Defined Dosages, medical therapy, use of potassium supplements) after allocating subjects to MRA-therapy or adrenalectomy at 1 and 5 years.
The purpose of this study is to determine if LCI699, thorough reductions in aldosterone, can lower BP in patients with Primary hyperaldosteronism.