Primary aldosteronism in young adults with acute stroke: Prevalence and clinical characteristics

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is notably an independent risk factor for cerebral vascular disease but currently with limited knowledge among young adults. The objectives of the study were to investigate the prevalence of PA in patients under 45 years old with history of acute stroke and the clinical characteristics during stroke attack. We retrieved the medical records of 116 patients once admitted due to acute stroke and cross-sectionally conducted screening test as well as confirmatory test among those patients. An estimated prevalence of PA was 12.7% among all patients and 21.2% among patients combined with hypertension. During stroke attack, PA patients had experienced higher blood pressure as well as decreased potassium level. The average SBP and DBP of PA patients were 180.0 ± 30.9 and 125.9 ± 24.5 mmHg respectively, both remarkably higher than those without PA(mean SBP 148.9 ± 29.6 mmHg, mean DBP94.1 ± 20.5 mmHg). The mean potassium level was 3.13 ± 0.50 vs. 4.01 ± 0.40 mmol/l. The proportion of hypertension and hypokalemia were also increased for PA patients compared with patients without (hypertension 93.3% vs. 51.5%; hypokalemia 80% vs. 8.9%). Patients were equal in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score as well as Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and stroke subtypes. Considering the fact that excessive aldosterone had detrimental role on cerebral vascular system, we recommend a more rigorous screening for PA with stroke onset under 45 years old, especially those combined with severe hypertension as well as overt hypokalemia.