Aldosterone Serum Test

Patient should be ambulatory / upright 2 hours prior to sampling. Overnight Fasting is preferred.

Aldosterone Serum Test Overview

Aldosterone serum test is used to measure the amount of aldosterone hormone in your blood or urine. This hormone is made by the adrenal glands in your body that are located just above the kidneys. One of the key functions of aldosterone in your body is to regulate your blood pressure and ensure that the electrolyte balance of sodium and potassium is being maintained. 

When blood pressure is too low, more aldosterone is released into the blood that helps improve the sodium levels. In the same process, potassium is excreted through urine to balance your blood pressure again. The aldosterone serum test is used to understand if there’s any issues with the functioning of the adrenal glands or if there are electrolyte imbalances in your body.

When is an Aldosterone Serum Test Prescribed?

An aldosterone serum test is prescribed by doctors to understand the cause of high blood pressure in some cases. An elevated level of aldosterone in your blood could be a contributing factor to high blood pressure. This is diagnosed using the serum aldosterone test. Here are some other scenarios where an aldosterone serum test is prescribed.

• Conn's Syndrome
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Hypertension diagnosis
• Adrenal gland function
• Understanding body’s response to certain medications

Components of Aldosterone Serum Test

The normal range for an aldosterone serum test is 0–30 ng/dL or 0.00–1081.35 pmol/L. However, the level of aldosterone in your body can differ based on the time of the day, body position change, and physical activity. So, doctors consider any level under 15 ng/dL to be ideal for an healthy active adult.

If your aldosterone serum test results are abnormal, it could indicate certain health conditions based on if your results are lower or higher compared to the normal range. Here are some of the conditions most commonly diagnosed based on the results of your aldosterone blood test.

• A higher than normal aldosterone level may indicate conditions like bartter syndrome, a low sodium diet, or overactive adrenal glands.
• Similarly, a lower than normal aldosterone level can indicate conditions like Addison’s disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and secondary or tertiary adrenal insufficiency.

Procedure And Prerequisites

The aldosterone blood test is performed as a regular blood test. Doctors draw blood from your arm from the veins and send the sample for testing. As for prerequisites, patients are recommended to be ambulatory up to 2 hours before the sample collection. Overnight fasting is also recommended as a prerequisite for this test in some cases.