Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a pervasive health concern. It can lead to serious health issues such as heart diseases and strokes.
For the majority of patients with hypertension, the cause is unknown, and lifelong medication is often necessary to manage it.
Discovery of Small Lumps in Hormone Gland
A team of doctors from Queen Mary University of London, Barts Hospital, and Cambridge University Hospital conducted a study, using a novel CT scanning technique to identify tiny lumps in a hormone gland.
Remarkably, the removal of these lumps cured high blood pressure in the affected individuals. These lumps were detected in 5% of the people suffering from high blood pressure.
The research, published in Nature Medicine, solved a problem that has puzzled medical practitioners for over six decades—how to locate these hormone-producing lumps.
The previous method, a complex test that few hospitals could perform, often failed to locate these lumps.
The researchers’ new method, combining a new type of scan with a urine test, successfully identified patients who were able to stop taking their blood pressure medication post-treatment.
The study involved scanning 128 people whose hypertension was caused by a hormone called aldosterone.
In two-thirds of these individuals, the hormone was produced by a benign lump in one of the adrenal glands, which was subsequently safely removed.
The new scan involved a dye called metomidate, which specifically adheres to the aldosterone-producing lump. This scan was efficient, painless, and worked for all patients.
Expert Opinions
Professor Morris Brown, one of the leaders of the study, commented that these lumps are quite small and can be overlooked in a conventional CT scan.
However, with their new scanning technique, the lumps can be easily detected and thus allow the high blood pressure condition to be cured.
Another study leader, Professor William Drake, highlighted the years of diligent work and teamwork required to make this breakthrough.
More about Aldosterone and Hypertension
Earlier research by this team found that 5% to 10% of people with high blood pressure overproduce aldosterone due to a genetic alteration in the adrenal glands.
This hormone causes the body to retain salt, thereby increasing blood pressure. Individuals with high aldosterone levels often do not respond well to standard hypertension medication and are at an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and eating eggs in a healthy diet may reduce risks of diabetes, high blood pressure.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
