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Familial hyperaldosteronism
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (April 2019) |
| Familial hyperaldosteronism | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Endocrinology |
Familial hyperaldosteronism is a group of inherited conditions in which the adrenal glands, which are small glands located on top of each kidney, produce too much of the hormone aldosterone.[1] Excess aldosterone causes the kidneys to retain more salt than normal, which in turn increases the body's fluid levels and causes high blood pressure.[1] People with familial hyperaldosteronism may develop severe high blood pressure, often early in life.[1] Without treatment, hypertension increases the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and kidney failure.[1] There are other forms of hyperaldosteronism that are not inherited.[1]
This condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder.[1] The various types of familial hyperaldosteronism have different genetic causes.[1]
It is unclear how common these diseases are.[1] All together they appear to make up less than 1% of cases of hyperaldosteronism.
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