I have hypertension, as well as diabetes. I wanted my cardiologist to test me for hyperaldosteronism, because I had read it was not uncommon and could be a factor in hypertension that continues to get worse and worse, without an obvious explanation. He refused, saying that it was the job of my endocrinologist to do that test.

So, I talked to my endocrinologist and he said it wasn't a normal test they do, but he was happy to do it if I wanted it. Well, the test came back positive. So they sent me in for a CAT scan of my adrenal glands to see if anything was obviously abnormal there. Which came back negative. So, now they want me to do a salt test to see how bad my hyperaldosteronism is, so that they can give me the right amount of the drug for that condition.

But the key thing that set me off was that original article that said this was now recommended by cardiologists as a standard screening test. Maybe only 10% of patients have this problem, but it's common enough that it's still worthwhile screening for.

So, why didn't my cardiologist screen me for it in the first place? Why didn't my endocrinologist screen me for it without me having to explicitly request it?

I'm pissed.

I don't want to sue anyone for malpractice, or even mention that word to any of my doctors. But I do want to convince them that they really do need to screen for this condition.

Meanwhile, I'm going to continue to follow this diagnosis to see where it goes, and if they can help me get my blood pressure under better control.