Aldosterone and Blood Pressure

Aldosterone is the hormone that promotes fluid retention in the blood and thus helps maintains blood pressure. Increased physical activity will lead to naturally increased aldosterone production, as will stress and high-protein diets.

Typical signs of low aldosterone levels include:

• Lean body and hollow face
• Unusually low blood pressure
• Feeling of drowsiness when suddenly standing up
• Absent-mindedness
• Frequent desire to lie down, in order to think more clearly
• Attracted to salty foods
• Frequently thirsty
• Rapid desire to urinate after drinking

If a person is very tall and lean, they may need to have their blood level of aldosterone checked to make sure that it’s at the right level to maintain correct blood pressure. Conversely, if a person is overweight, stressed, and tends to consume lots of protein they should check to determine if their aldosterone levels are too high and thus contribute to high blood pressure.