Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0015672 (fatigue)
 51,768 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

It is traditionally considered that angiotensin--converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and spironolactone could not be used simultaneously because of the assumed risk of hyperkalemia. However, despite ACEI therapy edema and congestive status remain in some of the patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF). In order to seek an effective therapy for these patients, we observed the efficacy and safety of captopil plus spironolactone in patients with refractory CHF, with strict monitoring of renal function, serum and urine electrolytes and blood pressure (BP). Thirty-five patients with refractory CHF and New York Heart Association functional class IV without renal dysfunction, hypotension and hyperkalemia, whose plasma aldosterone (ALD) level in 88.6% of them was above normal value, were randomly assigned to group A (n = 16, captopril alone) and B (n = 19, captopril plus spironolactone) for a 4-week treatment. The dosage of both drugs was individually adjusted in time according to the results of serum potassium and renal function. The improvement in dyspnea--fatigue ratings, urinary volume and Na+/K+ ratio in group B was more significant than that in group A, and the plasma ALD level in group B decreased obviously while it remained high in group A after therapy. Two patients in group B who had had normal plasma ALD level with urinary Na+/K+ ratio > 1.0 before the therapy did not exhibit any clinical improvement. A strong negative correlation was found between plasma ALD level and urinary Na+/K+ ratio (correlation coefficient -0.689, P < 0.01). None of the patients had obvious hyperkalemia and hypoaldosteronism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Combined therapy of captopril and spironolactone for refractory congestive heart failure. 780 62

Pseudo-hypoaldosteronism (PHA) is due to mineralocorticoid resistance and manifests as hyponatremia and hyperkalemia with increased plasma aldosterone levels. It may be familial or secondary to abnormal renal sodium handling. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman with multifocal cancer of the colon, who developed PHA after subtotal colectomy, ileal resection and jejunostomy. She was treated with 6 g of salt daily to prevent dehydration, which she stopped herself because of reduced fecal losses. One month later she was admitted with signs of acute adrenal failure, i.e. fatigue, severe nausea, blood pressure of 80/60 mmHg, extracellular dehydration, hyponatremia (118 mmol/l); hyperkalemia (7.6 mmol/l), increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (200 mg/dl) and creatininemia (2.5 mg/dl), and decreased plasma bicarbonates level (HCO3-: 16 mmol/l; N: 27-30). However, the plasma cortisol was high (66 microg/100 ml at 10:00 h; N: 8-15) and the ACTH was normal (13 pg/ml, N: 10-60); there was a marked increase in plasma renin activity (>37 ng/ml/h; N supine <3), active renin (869 pg/ml; N supine: 1.120), aldosterone (>2000 pg/ml; N supine <150) and plasma AVP (20 pmol/l; N: 0.5-2.5). The plasma ANH level was 38 pmol/l (N supine: 5-25). A urinary steroidogram resulted in highly elevated tetrahydrocortisol (THF: 13.3 mg/24h; N: 1.4+/-0.8) with no increase in tetrahydrocortisone (THE: 3.16 mg/24h; N: 2.7+/-2.0) excretion, and with low THE/THF (0.24; N: 1.87+/-0.36) and alpha THF/THF (0.35; N: 0.92+/-0.42) ratios. The number of mineralocorticoid receptors in mononuclear leukocytes was in the lower normal range for age, while the number of glucocorticoid receptors was reduced. Small-bowel resection in ileostomized patients causes excessive fecal sodium losses and results in chronic sodium depletion with contraction of the plasma volume and severe secondary hyperaldosteronism. Nevertheless, this hyperaldosteronism may be associated with hyponatremia and hyperkalemia suggesting PHA related to the major importance of the colon for the absorption of sodium. In conclusion, this case report emphasizes 1) the possibility of a syndrome of acquired PHA with severe hyperkalemia after resection of the ileum and colon responding to oral salt supplementation; 2) the major increase in AVP and the small increase in ANH; 3) the strong increase in urinary THF with low THE/THF and alpha THF/THF ratios; 4) the normal number of lymphocytic mineralocorticoid receptors outside the acute episode.
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PMID:Transient pseudo-hypoaldosteronism following resection of the ileum: normal level of lymphocytic aldosterone receptors outside the acute phase. 1019 79

Hypokalemia associated with aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA) are almost corrected following successful unilateral adrenalectomy. Prolonged hyperkalemia after unilateral adrenalectomy is rarely reported and may be overlooked. We describe a 62-year-old man who presented with fatigue and dizziness 2 weeks after unilateral adrenalectomy for aldosterone-producing adenomas. Physical examination showed decreased skin turgor and postural hypotension. Laboratory studies revealed hyperkalemia (6.3 mmol/l) with a low transtubular potassium gradient of 5. A relatively low plasma aldosterone concentration and high plasma renin activity in the setting of normal plasma cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels lead to a diagnosis of functional hypoaldosteronism. Fludrocortisone 0.2 mg/day for one week completely corrected his hyperkalemia which recurred after cessation of fludrocortisone. Long-term suppression of contralateral aldosterone synthesis by APA and/or chronic untreated hypokalemia may have accounted for the development of prolonged hyperkalemia after unilateral adrenalectomy. Serum potassium concentration following unilateral adrenalectomy must be meticulously monitored to avoid life-threatening hyperkalemia.
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PMID:Prolonged hyperkalemia following unilateral adrenalectomy for primary hyperaldosteronism. 2042 Aug 1