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It can be asymptomatic, but these symptoms may be present:
- Fatigue
- Headache
- High blood pressure
- Hypokalemia
- Hypernatraemia
- Hypomagnesemia
- Intermittent or temporary paralysis
- Muscle spasms
- Muscle weakness
- Numbness
- Polyuria
- Polydipsia
- Tingling
- Metabolic alkalosis
Familial hyperaldosteronism is a group of inherited conditions in which the adrenal glands, which are small glands located on top of each kidney, produce too much of the hormone aldosterone. Excess aldosterone causes the kidneys to retain more salt than normal, which in turn increases the body's fluid levels and causes high blood pressure. People with familial hyperaldosteronism may develop severe high blood pressure, often early in life. Without treatment, hypertension increases the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and kidney failure. There are other forms of hyperaldosteronism that are not inherited.
Familial hyperaldosteronism is categorized into three types, distinguished by their clinical features and genetic causes. In familial hyperaldosteronism type I, hypertension generally appears in childhood to early adulthood and can range from mild to severe. This type can be treated with steroid medications called glucocorticoids, so it is also known as glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism (GRA). In familial hyperaldosteronism type II, hypertension usually appears in early to middle adulthood and does not improve with glucocorticoid treatment. In most individuals with familial hyperaldosteronism type III, the adrenal glands are enlarged up to six times their normal size. These affected individuals have severe hypertension that starts in childhood. The hypertension is difficult to treat and often results in damage to organs such as the heart and kidneys. Rarely, individuals with type III have milder symptoms with treatable hypertension and no adrenal gland enlargement.
This condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder. The various types of familial hyperaldosteronism have different genetic causes.
It is unclear how common these diseases are. All together they appear to make up less than 1% of cases of hyperaldosteronism.
People often have few or no symptoms. They may get occasional muscular weakness, muscle spasms, tingling sensations, or excessive urination.
High blood pressure, manifestations of muscle cramps (due to hyperexcitability of neurons secondary to low blood calcium), muscle weakness (due to hypoexcitability of skeletal muscles secondary to hypokalemia), and headaches (due to low blood potassium or high blood pressure) may be seen.
Secondary hyperaldosteronism is often related to decreased cardiac output which is associated with elevated renin levels.
The causes of primary hyperaldosteronism are adrenal hyperplasia and adrenal adenoma (Conn's syndrome).
These cause hyperplasia of aldosterone-producing cells of the adrenal cortex resulting in primary hyperaldosteronism.
The causes of secondary hyperaldosteronism are massive ascites, left ventricular failure, and cor pulmonale.
These act either by decreasing circulating fluid volume or by decreasing cardiac output, with resulting increase in renin release leading to secondary hyperaldosteronism.
This condition is characterized by hypertension, kaliuresis and reduced plasma renin.
Pseudohyperaldosteronism (also pseudoaldosteronism) is a medical condition that mimics hyperaldosteronism. Like hyperaldosteronism, it produces hypertension associated with low plasma renin activity, and metabolic alkalosis associated with hypokalemia. Unlike hyperaldosteronism, it involves aldosterone levels that are normal or low (hypoaldosteronism).
Patients with GRA may be asymptomatic, but the following symptoms can be present:
- Fatigue
- Headache
- High blood pressure
- Hypokalemia
- Intermittent or temporary paralysis
- Muscle spasms
- Muscle weakness
- Numbness
- Polyuria
- Polydipsia
- Tingling
- Hypernatraemia
- Metabolic alkalosis
Apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) is an autosomal recessive disorder causing hypertension (high blood pressure) and hypokalemia (abnormally low levels of potassium). It was found by Dr Maria L. New at Weil Cornell Hospital in New York City. It results from mutations in the "HSD11B2" gene, which encodes the kidney isozyme of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2. In an unaffected individual, this isozyme inactivates circulating cortisol to the less active metabolite cortisone. The inactivating mutation leads to elevated local concentrations of cortisol in the aldosterone sensitive tissues like the kidney. Cortisol at high concentrations can cross-react and activate the mineralocorticoid receptor due to the non-selectivity of the receptor, leading to aldosterone-like effects in the kidney. This is what causes the hypokalemia, hypertension, and hypernatremia associated with the syndrome. Patients often present with severe hypertension and end-organ changes associated with it like left ventricular hypertrophy, retinal, renal and neurological vascular changes along with growth retardation and failure to thrive. In serum both aldosterone and renin levels are low
Children with Liddle syndrome are frequently asymptomatic. The first indication of the syndrome often is the incidental finding of hypertension during a routine physical exam. Because this syndrome is rare, it may only be considered by the treating physician after the child's hypertension does not respond to medications for lowering blood pressure.
Adults could present with nonspecific symptoms of low blood potassium, which can include weakness, fatigue, palpitations or muscular weakness (shortness of breath, constipation/abdominal distention or exercise intolerance). Additionally, long-standing hypertension could become symptomatic.
Liddle's syndrome, also called Liddle syndrome is a genetic disorder inherited in an autosomal dominant manner that is characterized by early, and frequently severe, high blood pressure associated with low plasma renin activity, metabolic alkalosis, low blood potassium, and normal to low levels of aldosterone. Liddle syndrome involves abnormal kidney function, with excess reabsorption of sodium and loss of potassium from the renal tubule, and is treated with a combination of low sodium diet and potassium-sparing diuretic drugs (e.g. amiloride). It is extremely rare, with fewer than 30 pedigrees or isolated cases having been reported worldwide as of 2008.
Glucocorticoid remediable aldosteronism (GRA), also describable as "aldosterone synthase hyperactivity", is an autosomal dominant disorder in which the increase in aldosterone secretion produced by ACTH is no longer transient.
It is a cause of primary hyperaldosteronism.
Most affected cats present with muscular weakness and/or ocular signs of hypertension. Signs of muscle weakness can include a plantigrade stance of the hindlimbs, cervical ventroflexion, inability to jump, lateral recumbency, or collapse. Ocular signs of arterial hypertension include mydriasis, hyphema, or blindness due to retinal detachment and/or intraocular hemorrhages. A palpable mass in the cranial abdomen is another potential finding.
This disorder presents similarly to hyperaldosteronism, leading to feedback inhibition of aldosterone. Common symptoms include hypertension, hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, and low plasma renin activity.
Primary aldosteronism, also known as primary hyperaldosteronism or Conn's syndrome, is excess production of the hormone aldosterone by the adrenal glands resulting in low renin levels. Often it produces few symptoms. Most people have high blood pressure which may cause poor vision or headaches. Occasionally there may be muscular weakness, muscle spasms, tingling sensations, or excessive urination. Complications include cardiovascular disease such as stroke, myocardial infarction, kidney failure, and abnormal heart rhythms.
Primary hyperaldosteronism has a number of causes. About 66% of cases are due to enlargement of both adrenal glands and 33% of cases are due to an adrenal adenoma that produces aldosterone. Other uncommon causes include adrenal cancer and an inherited disorder called familial hyperaldosteronism. Some recommend screening people with high blood pressure who are at increased risk while others recommend screening all people with high blood pressure for the disease. Screening is usually done by measuring the aldosterone-to-renin ratio in the blood with further testing used to confirm positive results. While low blood potassium is classically described this is only present in about a quarter of people. To determine the underlying cause medical imaging is carried out.
Some cases may be cured by removing the adenoma by surgery. A single adrenal gland may also be removed in cases where only one is enlarged. In cases due to enlargement of both glands treatment is typically with medications known as aldosterone antagonists such as spironolactone or eplerenone. Other medications for high blood pressure and a low salt diet may also be needed. Some people with familial hyperaldosteronism may be treated with the steroid dexamethasone.
Primary aldosteronism is present in about 10% of people with high blood pressure. It occurs more often in women than men. Often it begins in those between 30 and 50 years of age. Conn's syndrome is named after Jerome W. Conn (1907–1994), the American endocrinologist who first described adenomas as a cause of the condition in 1955.
Feline hyperaldosteronism is a disease in cats. The symptoms are caused by abnormally high concentrations of the hormone aldosterone, which is secreted by the adrenal gland. The high concentrations of aldosterone may be due directly to a disorder of the adrenal gland (primary hyperadlosteronism), or due to something outside of the adrenal gland causing it to secrete excessive aldosterone (secondary hyperaldosteronism).
This condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder. The various types of familial hyperaldosteronism have different genetic causes. Familial hyperaldosteronism type I is caused by the abnormal joining together (fusion) of two similar genes called CYP11B1 and CYP11B2, which are located close together on chromosome 8. These genes provide instructions for making two enzymes that are found in the adrenal glands.
The CYP11B1 gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called 11-beta-hydroxylase. This enzyme helps produce hormones called cortisol and corticosterone. The CYP11B2 gene provides instructions for making another enzyme called aldosterone synthase, which helps produce aldosterone. When CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 are abnormally fused together, too much aldosterone synthase is produced. This overproduction causes the adrenal glands to make excess aldosterone, which leads to the signs and symptoms of familial hyperaldosteronism type I.
Familial hyperaldosteronism type III is caused by mutations in the KCNJ5 gene. The KCNJ5 gene provides instructions for making a protein that functions as a potassium channel, which means that it transports positively charged atoms (ions) of potassium into and out of cells. In the adrenal glands, the flow of ions through potassium channels produced from the KCNJ5 gene is thought to help regulate the production of aldosterone. Mutations in the KCNJ5 gene likely result in the production of potassium channels that are less selective, allowing other ions (predominantly sodium) to pass as well. The abnormal ion flow results in the activation of biochemical processes (pathways) that lead to increased aldosterone production, causing the hypertension associated with familial hyperaldosteronism type III.
The genetic cause of familial hyperaldosteronism type II is unknown.
Adrenocortical hyperfunction is a condition where there is an overexpression of products of the adrenal cortex.
When cortisol is overproduced, it is called Cushing's syndrome.
When aldosterone is overproduced, it is called hyperaldosteronism.
As most cases of FHH are asymptomatic and benign, the diagnosis of FHH is less likely to be made.
Typically, diagnosis is made in the pursuit of uncovering the etiology of hypercalcemia.
Calcium levels are often in the high normal range or slightly elevated.
Commonly, the parathyroid hormone level is checked and may be slightly elevated or also on the high normal end.
Normally, high calcium should cause low PTH and so this level of PTH is inappropriately high due to the decreased sensitivity of the parathyroid to calcium.
This may be mistaken for primary hyperparathyroidism.
However, evaluation of urine calcium level will reveal a low level of urine calcium.
This too is inappropriate as high serum calcium should result in high urine calcium.
If urine calcium is not checked, this may lead to parathyroidectomy for presumed primary hyperparathyroidism.
Additionally as the name implies, there may be a family history of benign hypercalcemia.
Ultimately, diagnosis of familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia is made — as the name implies — by the combination of low urine calcium and high serum calcium.
Because of the ubiquity of arsenic in ground water supplies and its effect on cardiovascular health, low dose arsenic poisoning should be inferred as a part of the pathogenesis of idiopathic hypertension. Idiopathic and essential are both somewhat synonymous with primary hypertension. Arsenic exposure has also many of the same signs of primary hypertension such as headache, somnolence,
confusion, proteinuria
visual disturbances, and nausea and vomiting
Most cases of familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia are asymptomatic. Laboratory signs of FHH include:
- Hypercalcemia
- Hypocalciuria ( Ca excretion rate < 0.02 mmol/L)
- Hypermagnesemia
- High normal to mildly elevated parathyroid hormone
Hyperthyroxinemia or hyperthyroxinaemia is a thyroid disease where the serum levels of thyroxine are higher than expected.
The term is sometimes used to refer to hyperthyroidism, but hyperthyroidism is a more general term.
Types include:
- Familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia
- Familial euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia
- Thyroid hormone resistance syndrome
Another common and under-recognized sign of hypertension is sleep apnea, which is often best treated with nocturnal nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), but other approaches include the Mandibular advancement splint (MAS), UPPP, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, septoplasty, or weight loss.
Another cause is an exceptionally rare neurological disease called Binswanger's disease, causing dementia; it is a rare form of multi-infarct dementia, and is one of the neurological syndromes associated with hypertension.
Mild hypokalemia is often without symptoms, although it may cause elevation of blood pressure, and can provoke the development of an abnormal heart rhythm. Severe hypokalemia, with serum potassium concentrations of 2.5–3 meq/l (Nl: 3.5–5.0 meq/l), may cause muscle weakness, myalgia, tremor, and muscle cramps (owing to disturbed function of skeletal muscle), and constipation (from disturbed function of smooth muscle). With more severe hypokalemia, flaccid paralysis and hyporeflexia may result. Reports exist of rhabdomyolysis occurring with profound hypokalemia with serum potassium levels less than 2 meq/l. Respiratory depression from severe impairment of skeletal muscle function is found in many patients.
Combined hyperlipidemia (or -aemia) (also known as multiple-type hyperlipoproteinemia) is a commonly occurring form of hypercholesterolemia (elevated cholesterol levels) characterised by increased LDL and triglyceride concentrations, often accompanied by decreased HDL. On lipoprotein electrophoresis (a test now rarely performed) it shows as a hyperlipoproteinemia type IIB. It is the most commonly inherited lipid disorder, occurring in around one in 200 persons. In fact, almost one in five individuals who develop coronary heart disease before the age of 60 have this disorder.
The elevated triglyceride levels (>5 mmol/l) are generally due to an increase in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), a class of lipoproteins prone to cause atherosclerosis.
Hypokalemia can result from one or more of these medical conditions: