Conn syndrome is an often overlooked cause
High blood pressure is not always noticeable. Regular measurements – at the doctor’s or at home – provide certainty about the blood pressure.
Image: dpa
Every third German suffers from high blood pressure. The trigger does not necessarily have to be an unhealthy lifestyle. A hormonal disorder is often present without those affected knowing it.
BRenate Ziegler’s life could not have gone any better. After her divorce, she met Erich at the age of 51, her great love. Both loved motorcycles and turned their passion into a profession. Together they ran a motorcycle shop near Nuremberg. Renate Ziegler, whose real name is different, worked in the shop and took care of her two children from her first marriage. “I felt great and full of energy,” she recalls. “Nevertheless, my partner worried about me because my face was constantly red.” When they were both relaxing on the sofa one Sunday, he persuaded her to finally measure her blood pressure. The result was shocking: 220/170 mmHG.
Her family doctor immediately prescribed blood pressure medicine. But they brought nothing. Renate Ziegler tried a different preparation. When that didn’t have the desired effect either, she tried others. “It was desperate, nothing helped,” she recalls. That’s how it went for 15 years. She consulted various doctors until one finally found out what was wrong: Ziegler suffered from Conn’s syndrome, also called primary hyperaldosteronism in technical jargon. Her blood pressure was too high for hormonal reasons.
