Aldosterone

and Eva Rudolf-Müller, doctor

Dr. med. Andrea Reiter is a freelance writer for the medical editorial team.

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Eva Rudolf-Müller is a freelance writer in the medical team. She studied human medicine and newspaper sciences and has repeatedly worked in both areas - as a doctor in the clinic, as a reviewer, and as a medical journalist for various specialist journals. She is currently working in online journalism, where a wide range of medicine is offered to everyone.

More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.

Aldosterone is a hormone made in the adrenal cortex. Together with other messenger substances, it regulates the water and salt balance in the body. Too much or too little aldosterone can lead to severe circulatory disorders, high blood pressure, kidney damage or dangerous deviations in the potassium balance. Read more about this vital hormone.

What is aldosterone?

Aldosterone is a hormone that is produced in the adrenal cortex and plays an important role in regulating blood pressure and the water balance. Since it is increasingly released into the blood when there is a lack of fluids, it is sometimes called the “thirst hormone”. In a complex endocrine system, aldosterone regulates the concentration of sodium and potassium in the blood.

When is aldosterone in the blood determined?

The aldosterone concentration is determined in the following cases:

if you have severe high blood pressure
if there is a suspicion of disturbances in the mineral balance

Aldosterone is determined in the blood serum or in the urine (24-hour urine collection).

Aldosterone - reference value

Aldosterone - normal value (blood serum)

12 - 150 ng / l (lying)

70 - 350 ng / l (standing)

Aldosterone - normal value (24h urine)

2 - 30 µg / 24h

(2000 - 30,000 ng / 24h)

Aldosterone normal levels in children

In children, the concentration of aldosterone in the blood serum is determined.

Age group

Newborn

up to the 1st year of life

up to the age of 15

Aldosterone - normal value

1200 - 8500 ng / l

320 - 1278 ng / l

73 - 425 ng / l

For adolescents over the age of 15, the reference ranges for adults are generally used.

When is the aldosterone level lowered?

Too low a concentration of aldosterone in the blood is measured in:

Insufficient production of aldosterone due to a dysfunction of the adrenal cortex (Addison's disease)
Administration of medication containing cortisone
Taking beta blockers (for high blood pressure)
Taking acid pump inhibitors (to neutralize stomach acid)

When is the aldosterone level increased?

Elevated aldosterone concentrations can be found:

with heart failure
with liver damage
with stress
if the adrenal cortex is overactive and too much aldosterone is produced (Conn syndrome)
during pregnancy
Bartter syndrome (congenital kidney disease)
after operations
during diuretic therapy (water tablets)
after taking laxatives
if you are taking ovulation inhibitors (birth control pills)

What is done if the aldosterone concentration changes?

If the aldosterone level is elevated, the doctor will conduct further tests to clarify the cause. In addition to the aldosterone, the concentrations of other hormones, the amount of sodium and potassium in the blood and the kidney values are determined. An ultrasound of the adrenal gland can also provide information about the cause of the disorder.

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