Hormone in Overweight Male Teens Could Increase Blood Pressure
01 June 2009
According to researchers, overweight male teens even with normal blood pressure could have elevated levels of a hormone known to increase blood pressure as well as early signs of heart damage.Aldosterone, a hormone produced by the adrenal gland, is known to increase blood pressure by increasing sodium and water retention. Despite normal blood pressure, overweight males had thickened heart walls and an increase in the size of the pumping chamber of the heart. Structural changes in the young hearts can be linked to a lesser-known aldosterone fact; it also promotes inflammation and formation of fibrous tissue in the heart muscle.
In the study of 126 otherwise healthy 15- to17-year-olds, the researchers found the hormone aldosterone highest among the overweight males. Overweight females in the group did not have elevated aldosterone levels or the associated heart damage, possibly due to estrogen's cardioprotective effect.
"These associations give us reason to question whether we should be screening for and treating high aldosterone in obese males with normal blood pressure, particularly those with a family history of cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Dayal D. Raja, study author.
Blood and urine test are available to measure aldosterone levels, but they typically aren't measured unless a patient on multiple medications still has uncontrolled blood pressure. By then, Dr. Raja says, significant cardiovascular damage may have been done.
This first evidence of elevated aldosterone levels and early heart damage in a pediatric population with normal blood pressure earned Dr. Raja first place in the poster session at the recent American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 18th Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress in Houston.
"Our failure to halt the progression of heart damage is attributed to late detection, because early heart damage is usually asymptomatic," Dr. Raja says. "We have evidence that we could identify individuals early and stop or even reverse that damage. We need more study to confirm our findings and a plan for whom and how to screen."
The latest research suggests that fat cells stimulate the adrenal glands to make more aldosterone, thus losing weight will decrease aldosterone levels.
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References:
1. Dayal D. Raja, et al. Medical College of Georgia.
2. Image by massdistraction
