A 45-year-old woman with a history of hypertension recently experienced repeated fatigue and muscle weakness. Her tests showed low potassium (2.7mmol/L) along with high blood pressure. Further evaluation revealed Primary Aldosteronism (PA)—a common but often overlooked cause of secondary hypertension.
🔎 What is PA?
It’s a condition where the adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone, leading to:
- Sodium retention & potassium loss
- Persistent or resistant hypertension
- Low potassium symptoms: weakness, periodic paralysis, difficulty swallowing, even breathing issues in severe cases.
📌 Causes include:
- Aldosterone-producing adenoma (most common)
- Bilateral adrenal hyperplasia
- Rare adrenal carcinoma or genetic/familial cases
✅ Diagnosis involves:
- Blood & urine tests: low potassium, high aldosterone, suppressed renin
- Adrenal vein sampling (AVS): gold standard
- Imaging (CT/Ultrasound): to detect adrenal tumors
⚠️ Key takeaway:
If you have hypertension with unexplained fatigue or low potassium, don’t dismiss it as overwork—ask your doctor about PA. With proper treatment, many patients can be cured or effectively managed.
