Does dynamic testing have a place in the modern assessment of endocrine hypertension?
Hypertension is one of the most important public health problems, affecting 15-20% of the adult population. The so-called "essential" hypertension includes the majority of cases; however, endocrine hypertension should always be suspected and excluded by physicians for at least 2 important reasons: prevalence rates of primary aldosteronism (the most common cause of mineralocorticoid-based hypertension) among hypertensives seem to be much higher than < 1% of initial studies, and treatment of endocrine hypertension relies on specific drugs (1) or on surgery. Endocrine hypertension comprises a spectrum of diseases (Table 1).
Mantero
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F
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. franco.mantero@unipd.it
Bedendo
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O
Opocher
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G
D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D003940:Diagnostic Techniques, Endocrine; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D006801:Humans; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology*; D006978:Hypertension, Renovascular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000150:complications