Effect of standard oral glucose loading on aldosterone secretion in primary hyperaldosteronism

The effects of mild acute decreases in plasma potassium induced by standard oral glucose loading (100 g) on plasma aldosterone and renin levels were assessed in 10 patients with primary hyperaldosteronism as compared with 10 normal subjects. Following overnight fast, mean plasma glucose was identical in both groups; plasma insulin, potassium and renin levels were lower and plasma aldosterone higher in patients than in controls. Glucose loading significantly increased plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and decreased plasma potassium and aldosterone levels in both groups. The increases in plasma insulin and the decreases in plasma potassium or aldosterone tended to be blunted in primary hyperaldosteronism. glucose-induced changes in plasma aldosterone correlated significantly (P less than 0.025) with those in plasma potassium in the patients and with variations in plasma renin activity in the normal subjects. These findings suggest that the metabolic changes induced by glucose ingestion are capable of modifying aldosterone secretion in primary hyperaldosteronism. However, the glucose-induced decreases in plasma aldosterone are blunted in this disorder; this could be related to the impaired insulin response to glucose loading.