The elevation of circulating aldosterone levels in individuals with HTN randomly selected from the general population is progressively higher with the number of anti-HTN medications taken.

This is the main observation from a study carried out in the USA.

It was carried out by Valentina Cannone, MD, PhD, Alessia Buglioni, MD, S. Jeson Sangaralingham, MS, PhD, Christopher Scott, MS, Kent R. Bailey, PhD, Richard Rodeheffer, MD, 
Margaret M. Redfield, MD, Riccardo Sarzani, MD, PhD, John C. Burnett Jr., MD.

The study’s results were published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal.

The prevalence of CV, renal, and metabolic disease was highest in participants with HTN with the highest levels of aldosterone. Moreover, in the HTN group, greater aldosterone levels were associated with lower circulating ANP levelsq the study finds.

Results

Participants with HTN had higher serum aldosterone levels than those without HTN (6.4 vs 4.1 ng/dL [to convert to pmol/L, multiply by 27.74]; P<.001). When individuals with HTN were stratified according to the number of anti-HTN medications used, the increase in number of medications (0, 1, 2, and ≥3) was associated with higher aldosterone levels (4.8, 6.4, 7.10, and 7.9 ng/dL, respectively; P=.002), worse metabolic profile, and higher prevalence of cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic disease.

You can read the whole study HERE