Foreword

Article Outline

• Copyright

Aldosterone is an adrenal hormone. It regulates sodium, fluid, and potassium balance. Aldosterone in association with a high salt diet results in target-organ inflammation and fibrosis in experimental animals.

In humans, aldosterone is associated with systemic hypertension, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists have beneficial effects in patients with hypertension or heart failure and after myocardial infarction.

Dr. Calhoun and his colleagues have provided for the practicing clinicians a review of aldosterone in hypertension and the importance of primary aldosteronism in systemic hypertension. They have also provided the mechanism(s) of aldosterone in the disorders listed above and its role in management of such patients.

The Editorial Board and I are grateful to Dr. Calhoun and his colleagues for an excellent review of this topic and are especially grateful to Dr. Cohn^⁎ for his extremely useful comments that are based on his extensive and thorough knowledge of the field.

• ⁎ Jay N. Cohn, MD, is Professor of Medicine, Director, Rasmussen Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN.