Aldosterone

The aldosterone test measures the level of aldosterone in the blood. A healthy body should have normal blood pressure to avoid organ damage. If the blood pressure is not within the healthy levels, it can cause damage to the brain, kidney and heart. The factors affecting blood pressure are several, like excess salt consumption or abnormal levels of aldosterone hormone. Aldosterone is released by the adrenal glands located above the kidneys. It balances the sodium and potassium levels in the body. If the levels of aldosterone get disturbed, it leads to high blood pressure. Conditions like aldosteronism and hypoaldosteronism can lead to overproduction and underproduction of the aldosterone hormone. Your doctor might prescribe an aldosterone test to check the level of aldosterone hormone in the body. An aldosterone test is also prescribed to diagnose primary or secondary aldosteronism, adrenal insufficiency, tumour in the adrenal glands and in high blood pressure. Symptoms that indicate the imbalance of aldosterone hormones include weakness, thirst, excess urination, muscle cramps, nausea, diarrhoea or pain in the stomach. Aldosterone is a lesser-known factor when a patient comes in with issues related to blood pressure. In India, where testing and diagnostic facilities are not readily available everywhere, aldosterone level checks are often not considered during diagnosis. High blood pressure is a common cause of cardiovascular death and in India, 27% of the deaths are caused due to cardiovascular issues.