What does aldosterone do in CHF patients?
The hormone aldosterone contributes to many conditions that can worsen a congestive heart failure 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;
• dysfunctioning of baroreceptors.
Source: RALES report, The New England Journal of Medicine.
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