Obesity, sleep apnea, aldosterone, and hypertension
1Research Service, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, USA. theodore.goodfriend@med.va.gov
Current Hypertension Reports
|September 4, 2008
Abstract:
The pathogenesis of hypertension associated with obesity is unclear. This review provides evidence supporting excess visceral fat as an early aspect, and obstructive sleep apnea and elevated levels of aldosterone as factors closer to hypertension in the mechanistic chain. Features of visceral obesity and obstructive sleep apnea that may stimulate aldosterone secretion are described here. Possible therapeutic interventions addressing the hypertension associated with obesity are briefly mentioned.
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Adrenal insufficiency, characterized by insufficient cortisol and aldosterone production, leads to conditions like Addison's disease. This disorder, affecting the adrenal cortex, exhibits symptoms such as skin bronzing, dehydration, low blood pressure, fatigue, and weight loss. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a genetic ailment causing...