Sodium intake effect on Aldosterone Level in real Time (SALT) study

Summary

High blood pressure is a very common condition but if it is not detected early or treated well, it can lead to dementia, heart attacks, strokes or kidney problems. It affects 9% of young people in England but is especially common in people of black Caribbean heritage -39%.
It is very important find out if there is a specific cause for high blood pressure, particularly if the cause is curable. A relatively common but often undiagnosed cause of high blood pressure is caused by increased levels of the hormone aldosterone, and this can be cured either by surgery or medication.

We have developed a new device that allows us to not only to measure aldosterone more accurately but also measure it during sleep (when hormone levels should be low). Our novel technique allows us to take samples every 20 minutes and see how this hormone varies over the day and night.
Since the amount of salt in the diet effects the secretion of aldosterone it is important to see how this effects the daily pattern of aldosterone secretion. We will give 10 volunteers a specific low- or high-salt diet to follow for a week and then measure the aldosterone profile over a day and night. We will also talk to patients with this condition to see what they think and what's important to them.
Ultimately, this will allow us to personalise treatment for high blood pressure by identifying people who would benefit from surgery or a particular drug treatment.