Hypoaldosteronism

Hypoaldosteronism
Aldosterone
Classification and external resources
Specialty	Endocrinology
ICD-10	E27.4
DiseasesDB	20960
MeSH	D006994
[]

In medicine (endocrinology), hypoaldosteronism refers to decreased levels of the hormone aldosterone.

Isolated hypoaldosteronism is the condition of having lowered aldosterone without corresponding changes in cortisol. (The two hormones are both produced by the adrenals.)

There are several causes for this condition, including adrenal insufficiency, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and medications (certain diuretics, NSAIDs, and ACE inhibitors).

This condition may result in hyperkalemia, when it is sometimes termed 'type 4 renal tubular acidosis' even though it doesn't actually cause acidosis. It can also cause urinary sodium wasting, leading to volume depletion and hypotension.

Na+ is lost in the urine. K+ is retained, and the plasma K+ rises.

When adrenal insufficiency develops rapidly, the amount of Na+ lost from the extracellular fluid exceeds the amount excreted in the urine, indicating that Na+ also must be entering cells. When the posterior pituitary is intact, salt loss exceeds water loss, and the plasma Na+ falls. However, the plasma volume also is reduced, resulting in hypotension, circulatory insufficiency, and, eventually, fatal shock. These changes can be prevented to a degree by increasing the dietary NaCl intake. Rats survive indefinitely on extra salt alone, but in dogs and most humans, the amount of supplementary salt needed is so large that it is almost impossible to prevent eventual collapse and death unless mineralocorticoid treatment is also instituted.

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