Adrenal Hypertension

The secondary causes of hypertension are associated with the excess of the principal hormones produced by the adrenal glands: cortisol, epinephrine, and aldosterone. Excess aldosterone production is recognized as primary hyperaldosteronism, or primary aldosteronism (PA). Individuals with PA are at increased risk for a variety of disorders, including atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Pheochromocytoma is a very rare tumor (accounting for fewer than one in 10,000 hypertension cases) and is marked by high secretions of catecholamines, mostly epinephrine as well as norepinephrine. Cushing disease and Cushing syndrome are addressed in a separate review. This review contains 5 highly rendered figures, 4 tables, and 39 references.