Abstract to the American Society of Hypertension due Dec 3.

[Guest guest]

I would like to submit an abstract re our group to the annual meeting

of the American Society of Hypertension.

The abstract would be entitled something like:

An internet support group for patients with suspected and proven

primary aldosteronism: training patients and their health care team

to evaluate and manage PA.

The content of the abstract would be something like:

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a common cause of difficult to control

HTN in today's practice environment. This is likely due to the

increasing general use of drugs that lower BP by blocking the renin-

angiotensin (ACEs, ARBs, Renin inhibitors). Because renin is

markedly suppressed in PA this drugs are ineffective in PA.

Physicians and patients become frustrated with the inability to

control BP. Patients (n = ?? we have up to 300 members) who have

found their way to this site often having suffered from severe HTN

and episodic severe hypokalemia and its associated symptoms that has

been misdiagnosed for years. They have classically been referred to

Endocrinologists or Cardiologists who have had little experience with

PA and continued to miss the diagnosis until they were referred to

someone who understood how to Dx and RX PA. None had been referred

to Board Certified Hypertension Specialist.

One of the unique aspects of the management of PA utilized by this

support group has been the use of the low sodium DASH diet which has

permitted many (how many?) to aid in the control of BP and K enabling

many (X of XX) stabilize their BP and minimize antihypertensive

medications.

Over the last 4(?) years over 12,000 emails have been exchanged by

members of this community. The full spectrum of PA is illustrated

by many of these patient's " stories " which we encourage them to write

and which are available in the files for newly discovered patients to

review. As many of their physicians have stated they have never seen

or, in some cases never heard of PA, reading these collected clinical

stories may be a useful educational tool for the medical student as

well as for the practitioner who is faced with difficult to manage HTN.

Other suggestions welcomed. We do need an average number of members

and how many actually have been Dx with PA and how many have had

surgery. Of those who have had surgery how many have been able to

stop all BP drugs after a year of followup.

Thanks for your help.

May your pressure be low!



CE Grim BS, MS, MD

High Blood Pressure Consulting

Senior Consultant to Shared Care Research and Education Consulting

Inc.(sharedcareinc.com)

Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine Medical and Cardiology

Medical College of Wisconsin

Board certified in Internal Med, Geriatrics and Hypertension.

Interests:

1. Difficult to control high blood pressure.

2. The effect of recent evolutionary forces on high blood pressure

in human populations.

3. Improving blood pressure measurement in the office and out.