Adrenalectomy may improve Diabetes symptoms in nearly half of primary aldosteronism patients with DM

PA patients with DM (PA + DM patients) who received adrenalectomy were recruited into the study. Based on the diabetes outcomes after treatment, patients were classified into 3 groups, including “remission”, “improved” and “unchanged” groups. The preoperative factors affecting the outcome of DM after adrenalectomy were uncovered by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. 

Key findings of the study: 

• A total of 54 PA + DM patients received adrenalectomy.
• Post adrenalectomy, 16.7%, 33.3%, and 50.0% of patients were classified into the “remission”, “improved” and “unchanged” groups, respectively.
• The factors negatively associated with remission or improvement from DM after adrenalectomy were longer duration of hypertension (P = 0.029), a higher concentration of urinary magnesium (P = 0.031), and higher 24 h urinary potassium (P = 0.049).  

Thus, diabetes could be improved with adrenalectomy in nearly half of the patients with Diabetes. 

Further reading: Liu, Y., Lin, L., Yuan, C. et al. Recovery from diabetes mellitus in primary aldosteronism patients after adrenalectomy. BMC Endocr Disord 22, 331 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-022-01254-6