#aldosterone

• Aldosterone — A mineralocorticoid steroid hormone secreted by the zona glomerulosa of the adrenal cortex, playing an essential role in regulating fluid-electrolyte balance and blood pressure. It acts upon the distal tubules of the kidneys, stimulating sodium and water reabsorption while promoting potassium and hydrogen excretion.
• Aldosteronism — An endocrine clinical condition caused by the excessive, pathological secretion of the mineralocorticoid hormone aldosterone by the adrenal cortex. This metabolic disruption triggers massive sodium and water retention in the body, coupled with exaggerated potassium elimination, manifesting primarily as severe hypertension, chronic muscle weakness, and spasms.
• Urinary aldosterone test — The elimination of the hormone aldosterone or its metabolites through urine; in a medical and laboratory sense, the term designates the quantitative analysis of the concentration of this hormone excreted over 24 hours, a crucial test used to evaluate adrenal cortex activity.