AUTHOR=Puar Troy H. , Cheong Chin Kai , Foo Roger S.Y. , Saffari Seyed Ehsan , Tu Tian Ming , Chee Min Ru , Zhang Meifen , Ng Keng Sin , Wong Kang Min , Wong Andrew , Ng Foo Cheong , Aw Tar Choon , Khoo Joan , Gani Linsey , King Thomas , Loh Wann Jia , Soh Shui Boon , Au Vanessa , Tay Tunn Lin , Tan Eberta , Mae Lily , Yew Jielin , Tan Yen Kheng , Tong Khim Leng , Lee Sheldon , Chai Siang Chew TITLE=Treatment of Primary Aldosteronism and Reversal of Renin Suppression Improves Left Ventricular Systolic Function JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.916744 DOI=10.3389/fendo.2022.916744 ISSN=1664-2392 ABSTRACT=Introduction

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, treatment of PA has not been shown to improve left ventricular (LV) systolic function using the conventional assessment with LV ejection fraction (LVEF). We aim to use speckle-tracking echocardiography to assess for improvement in subclinical systolic function after treatment of PA.

Methods

We prospectively recruited 57 patients with PA, who underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measurements and echocardiography, including global longitudinal strain (GLS) assessment of left ventricle, at baseline and 12 months post-treatment.

Results

At baseline, GLS was low in 14 of 50 (28.0%) patients. On multivariable analysis, GLS was associated with diastolic BP (P = 0.038) and glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.026). GLS improved post-surgery by −2.3, 95% CI: −3.9 to −0.6, P = 0.010, and post-medications by −1.3, 95% CI: −2.6 to 0.03, P = 0.089, whereas there were no changes in LVEF in either group. Improvement in GLS was independently correlated with baseline GLS (P < 0.001) and increase in plasma renin activity (P = 0.007). Patients with post-treatment plasma renin activity ≥1 ng/ml/h had improvements in GLS (P = 0.0019), whereas patients with persistently suppressed renin had no improvement. Post-adrenalectomy, there were also improvements in LV mass index (P = 0.012), left atrial volume index (P = 0.002), and mitral E/e’ (P = 0.006), whereas it was not statistically significant in patients treated with medications.

Conclusion

Treatment of hyperaldosteronism is effective in improving subclinical LV systolic dysfunction. Elevation of renin levels after treatment, which reflects adequate reversal of sodium overload state, is associated with better systolic function after treatment.

Clinical Trial Registration

www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03174847.