A hormone made by your adrenal glands may be the hidden reason millions of people can’t get their blood pressure under control, no matter how many pills they take.
Quick Take
- CBS Mornings featured cardiologist Dr. Dmitry Yaranov explaining how aldosterone can keep blood pressure high even with treatment.
- Doctors have long known that too much aldosterone causes a condition called primary aldosteronism.
- Research shows this hormone problem affects roughly 5% to 20% of people with high blood pressure, and far more among those with hard-to-treat cases.
- Most people with this condition never get tested for it, so it often goes undiagnosed for years.
A Cardiologist Points To An Overlooked Hormone
For World Heart Day, Dr. Dmitry Yaranov joined CBS Mornings to talk about aldosterone, a hormone that regulates blood pressure. He explained it can act as a hidden driver behind cases that will not respond to normal treatment. Yaranov, a cardiologist and AstraZeneca brand partner, also discussed a new FDA-approved medicine built to target this exact hormone problem.
Aldosterone is made by the adrenal glands, two small organs that sit on top of your kidneys. Its normal job is to help your body manage salt and water levels, which in turn controls blood pressure. When the glands make too much of it, the body holds onto extra salt and fluid. That extra fluid raises pressure inside blood vessels, and it can stay high even with several medications.
The Condition Is Common But Rarely Found
Doctors call this condition primary aldosteronism. Medical research describes it as the most common hormone-driven cause of high blood pressure. Studies estimate it shows up in about 5% to 10% of all people with hypertension, and that number climbs to 20% or higher among patients whose blood pressure resists multiple drugs. Despite how common it is, screening rates stay extremely low across the country.
One review published in a major heart journal found that fewer than 1% of people with high blood pressure ever get tested for this hormone imbalance. That gap between how common the condition is and how rarely it gets caught explains why so many patients stay on medication after medication without real improvement. A simple blood test checking hormone ratios can often identify the problem early.
New Treatments Are Targeting The Hormone Directly
Drugmakers have taken notice of this hormone connection. Researchers in the United Kingdom recently tested a new drug called baxdrostat, which works by lowering aldosterone levels in the body. Trial results showed the drug helped control blood pressure around the clock, including in patients whose pressure had been stubbornly high for years despite taking several medications already.
Other hormone-related conditions can also drive high blood pressure, including thyroid disease and excess cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone. One study presented at a major cardiology conference found that over a quarter of patients with resistant hypertension had unusually high cortisol levels. These findings point to a bigger pattern: hormones play a far larger role in blood pressure than many patients realize.
Why This Matters For Everyday Patients
High blood pressure affects nearly half of American adults, and many struggle for years without knowing why their numbers will not budge. A hormone test is simple, inexpensive, and already available at most clinics. Raising awareness of conditions like primary aldosteronism gives patients and doctors a real chance to find answers instead of just adding another prescription to the pile.
The CBS segment adds to a growing body of medical evidence that treating blood pressure effectively sometimes means looking past the usual suspects of salt, weight, and stress. For patients whose numbers refuse to improve, asking a doctor about an aldosterone test could be the missing step toward real, lasting control.
Sources:
youtube.com, cbsnews.com, healthline.com, toppodcast.com
