Study points to role of aldosterone in exercise hypertension

People who have hypertension often have an unhealthy, exaggerated increase in blood pressure during exercise, sometimes to such high levels that they are afraid to exercise. UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found evidence that aldosterone, a hormone made and secreted by the adrenal gland, may play a role in the overactive response.

A research team led by Dr. Wanpen Vongpatanasin, Professor of Internal Medicine, compared treatments with various combinations of water, saline, and aldosterone in an animal model. Both high salt and aldosterone elicited exaggerated sympathetic nervous system activity (which controls the fight-or-flight system) and blood pressure. The aldosterone effect provides a potential target for future treatments of exercise-related hypertension. Certain diuretics block the effect of aldosterone on the kidneys.

The study appeared in the journal Hypertension. Other researchers involved in the study included Dr. Masaki Mizuno, Assistant Professor of Health Care Sciences and Internal Medicine; Ryan Downey, research assistant; Dr. Jere Mitchell, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine and Physiology; and Dr. Scott Smith, Professor of Health Care Sciences-Education and Research.

Dr. Vongpatanasin holds the Norman and Audrey Kaplan Chair in Hypertension. Dr. Mitchell holds the S. Roger and Carolyn P. Horchow Chair in Cardiac Research.