Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study cohort
| Characteristics | Total study population (n = 243) | PA patients with bilateral morphologically normal adrenal glands on imaging (n = 43) | PA patients with a unilateral morphologically normal adrenal gland on imaging (n = 200) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 52.4 ± 10.9 | 47.1 ± 10.2 | 53.5 ± 10.7 |
| Sex (% men) | 61% | 49% | 64% |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 30.7 ± 5.8 | 32.4 ± 7.2 | 30.1 ± 5.2 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 148.5 ± 20.5 | 145.2 ± 22.1 | 149.3 ± 20.1 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 86.9 ± 12.1 | 86.5 ± 11.7 | 87.0 ± 12.2 |
| Hypokalemia (%) | 65% | 56% | 66% |
| Serum potassium at diagnosis (mmol/l) | 3.4 ± 0.5 | 3.5 ± 0.6 | 3.4 ±0.5 |
| PAC (ng/dl) | 22.7 (16.7–34.0) | 21.6 (17.0–26.0) | 23.8 (16.6–38.0) |
| PRA (ng/ml/h) | 0.4 (0.2–0.6) | 0.6 (0.2–0.6) | 0.4 (0.2–0.6) |
| ARR (ng/dl per ng/ml/h) | 72.5 (35.0–152.0) | 46.3 (31.7–86.0) | 78.3 (36.4–168.4) |
| Number of antihypertensive medications (n) | 3 (2–4) | 3 (1–4) | 3 (2–4) |
| Cross-sectional imaging findings | |||
| Left normal adrenal, n (%) | 134 (55%) | 43 (100%) | 91 (45.5%) |
| Right normal adrenal, n (%) | 152 (63%) | 43 (100%) | 109 (54.5%) |
Data are presented as mean ± SD, % or median (interquartile range). Abbreviations: ARR, aldosterone-to-renin ratio; BMI, body mass index; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; PA, primary aldosteronism; PAC, plasma aldosterone concentration; PRA, plasma renin activity; SBP, systolic blood pressure.