Effect of obesity on clinical characteristics of primary aldosteronism patients at diagnosis and postsurgical responsei

Resumen:
BACKGROUND: Patients with obesity have an overactivated renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) that is associated with essential hypertension. However, the influence of obesity in primary aldosteronism (PA) is unknown. We analyzed the impact of obesity on the characteristics of PA, and the association between obesity and RAAS components. METHODS: Retrospective study of the Spanish PA Registry (SPAIN-ALDO Registry), which included patients with PA seen at 20 tertiary centers between 2018-2022. Differences between patients with and without obesity were analyzed. RESULTS: 415 patients were included; 189 (45.5%) with obesity. Median age: 55 years [47.3-65.2] and 240 (58.4%) were male. Compared to those without obesity, patients with obesity had higher rates of diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, obstructive apnea syndrome, left ventricular hypertrophy, prior cardiovascular events, higher means of systolic blood pressure (BP) and required more antihypertensive drugs. Patients with PA and obesity also had higher values of serum glucose, HbA1c, creatinine, uric acid, and triglycerides, and lower levels of HDL-cholesterol. Levels of blood aldosterone (PAC) and renin were similar between patients with and without obesity. Body mass index was not correlated with PAC nor renin. The rates of adrenal lesions on imaging studies, as well as the rates of unilateral disease assessed by adrenal vein sampling or I-6beta-iodomethyl-19-norcholesterol scintigraphy were similar between groups. CONCLUSION: Obesity in PA patients involves a worse cardiometabolic profile, and need for more antihypertensive drugs but similar PAC and renin levels, and rates of adrenal lesions and lateral disease than patients without obesity. However, obesity implicates a lower rate of hypertension cure after adrenalectomy.