Longevity & AgingOnly 1 in 100 Hypertension Patients Screened for a Treatable Hidden Cause
Primary aldosteronism is a hormonal condition where the adrenal glands overproduce aldosterone, causing hard-to-control high blood pressure. It's considered common but massively underdiagnosed. A new real-world study of 2.5 million adults with hypertension found that fewer than 1% were ever screened for it — yet among those who were, nearly 1 in 12 tested positive. This matters because primary aldosteronism carries dramatically higher risks of stroke, cardiovascular death, and all-cause mortality if left untreated. Specific treatments — including the drug spironolactone or surgery — can directly address the root cause, unlike standard blood pressure medications. Endocrine Society guidelines already recommend universal screening, but most clinicians aren't following them.
