Diagnosis Helps Resolve Marlboro Woman’s Hypertension

Kitty Chow, 43, began having high blood pressure shortly after the birth of her second child 10 years ago. Despite trying a number of different medications over the years, it remained high. She was often tired and had to be hospitalized twice for low potassium. She couldn’t understand why—she was young and otherwise healthy.

"I was taking all these medications, but nothing was happening. I was feeling all the symptoms. It just wasn’t a good situation,” says Kitty, who lives in Marlboro, New Jersey, with her husband and two daughters.

In the summer of 2022, Kitty went to the emergency department at Old Bridge Medical Center because of a severe pain on her left side. She had a CT scan of her abdomen and was diagnosed with a kidney stone. The CT scan revealed something else: a nodule on her right adrenal gland. She was referred to Sulay Shah, M.D., an endocrinologist at Old Bridge, for further investigation.

“Dr. Shah told me that we were going to get to the bottom of this,” says Kitty. “It was a weight off my shoulders, and I felt like I was finally going to have some answers.”

Clear-cut Case of Primary Aldosteronism

Dr. Shah suspected Kitty had primary aldosteronism, a disorder in which the adrenal glands make too much of the hormone aldosterone. This can cause high blood pressure and low potassium levels, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

“The most noticeable thing in Kitty’s history was that she was diagnosed with hypertension at a very young age. Her blood pressure was difficult to control, and in the past she had low potassium levels. The CT scan was also suggestive of an abnormal finding in the adrenal gland. This was a clear-cut case of primary aldosteronism,” says Dr. Shah.

Primary aldosteronism is thought to affect about 10 of 100 patients with hypertension, says Dr. Shah: “These patients, even if they have controlled blood pressure, have a high risk of heart disease and kidney disease. That's why it is very important to screen and identify those patients and treat them.”

Screening is done with a blood test and is recommended if you:

• Have uncontrolled or resistant hypertension
• Are on three or more blood pressure medications
• Have hypertension with low potassium
• Were diagnosed with hypertension before the age of 40
  
  

A Team Approach

Dr. Shah brought together an expert team to test and treat this condition. “We work in a team setting and collaborate on cases together.” After a saline suppression test confirmed Kitty’s diagnosis, interventional radiologist Albert Li, M.D., performed a procedure called adrenal vein sampling, which tests if excess aldosterone is present in one or both adrenal glands.

Once it was determined that Kitty’s right adrenal gland was overproducing the hormone, endocrine surgeon Michael Sullivan, M.D., operated to remove it.

“I was in the hospital overnight. It was not painful. I was back up and running, I would say, within a week,” says Kitty.

No More Medications

Three weeks after surgery, Kitty came off the three hypertension medications she’d been taking for years.

“I don’t have high blood pressure at all anymore,” says Kitty, who celebrated with a Florida and theme park trip with her family. “I'm spending more time with my kids and doing more things outside because I have energy again.”

Not only is Kitty feeling better, but her risk of developing heart disease and stroke is now the same as other people’s without high blood pressure.

“I really think that Dr. Shah went above and beyond. I'm super grateful to him and his network of doctors and surgeons,” says Kitty. “This was a great experience, and it was the best outcome.”

Next Steps & Resources:

• Meet our source: Sulay Shah, M.D.
• To make an appointment with an endocrinologist near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website.
  
  

The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.