Body mass index predicts aldosterone production in hypertensive postmenopausal women.

ABSTRACT

Hypertension is a common clinical problem, and increased aldosterone is the most prevalent underlying characteristic. Related works have shown exciting results on the effects of various conditions on aldosterone content, but the correlation between aldosterone levels and body mass index (BMI) in premenopausal women has not yet been investigated. We herein report a cross-sectional analysis aimed to determine whether BMI is proportional to plasma aldosterone concentration in premenopausal and postmenopausal hypertensive women. The analysis of consecutive admitted female patients with hypertension revealed potential relationships among plasma aldosterone concentration, plasma renin activity, oestrogen, and BMI. It should be noted that plasma aldosterone concentration was significantly correlated with BMI (p < .05) in postmenopausal women, and both plasma aldosterone and oestrogen levels were decreased in premenopausal women. These findings suggest that BMI has a positive impact on aldosterone in postmenopausal hypertensive women but not in premenopausal women. Additionally, we predict that endogenous oestrogen may be an important indication of aldosterone changes in premenopausal hypertensive women of different body weights.