How Does Aldosterone Work in CHF Patients?
The hormone aldosterone contributes to many conditions that can worsen a CHF patient’s condition, such as:
-retaining sodium and shedding magnesium and potassium;
-activating the sympathetic nervous system;
-inhibiting the parasympathetic nervous system;
-promoting fibrosis in the heart muscle and vessels as well as other vascular damage;
-causing dysfunctioning of baroreceptors.
Source: Pitt B, et al. The effect of spironolactone on morbidity and mortality in patients with severe heart failure. N Engl J Med 1999. (Scheduled for publication Sept. 2.)
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