A novel drug may significantly improve outcomes for a subset of patients with high blood pressure, according to findings published in The New England Journal of Medicine.Primary aldosteronism — a condition in which the adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone — is a common yet often underdiagnosed cause of endocrine hypertension. Excessive aldosterone can lead to salt and fluid retention, elevated blood pressure and other cardiovascular events.
“Primary aldosteronism is the most common cause of hypertension caused by an endocrine disorder,” said Wenyu Huang, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, who was a co-author of the study. “Up to one out of seven patients with hypertension may have this condition.”
For decades, treatment options for primary aldosteronism have remained largely unchanged, with spironolactone being the only approved medication for this condition. However, spironolactone may not be fully effective for many patients due to underdosing and can cause undesirable side effects, Huang said.
“Men treated with spironolactone for this condition can develop gynecomastia and erectile dysfunction among other side effects. Until this study, we had no other potential options for treatment,” he said.
In the study, investigators treated 15 patients with primary aldosteronism with baxdrostat, a new drug designed to block the overproduction of aldosterone with high specificity.