What causes aldosterone levels in the body to decrease?
Aldosterone is a hormone that increases the reabsorption of sodium and water and the release (secretion) of potassium in the kidneys. This increases blood volume and, therefore, increases blood pressure. Drugs that interfere with the secretion or action of aldosterone are in use as antihypertensives. One example is spironolactone, which lowers blood pressure by blocking the aldosterone receptor. Aldosterone is part of the renin-angiotensin system. A measurement of aldosterone in blood may be termed a plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), which may be compared to plasma renin activity (PRA) as a PAC/PRA ratio. Aldosterone is a steroid hormone (mineralocorticoid family) produced by the outer-section (zona glomerulosa) of the adrenal cortex in the adrenal gland, and acts on the distal tubules and collecting ducts of the nephron, the functioning unit of the kidney to cause the conservation of sodium, secretion of potassium, increased water retention, and increased blood pressure. The ove
