Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and other institutions have made a groundbreaking discovery with a new type of CT scan.
This innovative scan can identify tiny nodules in a hormone gland, offering a potential cure for high blood pressure by removing these nodules.
For 60 years, doctors faced a challenge in detecting these nodules, found in 1 in 20 people with high blood pressure.
Traditional methods, like a catheter study, are limited to a few hospitals and often unsuccessful. However, this new CT scan method marks a significant advancement.
The study involved scanning 128 patients with high blood pressure caused by the steroid hormone aldosterone.
Astonishingly, they found that in two-thirds of these patients, the high aldosterone levels were due to a benign nodule in one of the adrenal glands, which could be safely removed.
This scan uses metomidate, a short-acting radioactive dye, which specifically targets the aldosterone-producing nodule. Unlike the old catheter test, this new scan is quick, painless, and was technically successful for every patient, a remarkable improvement.
Previously, it was difficult to predict which patients would benefit from gland removal to cure hypertension.
Now, with the new scan, coupled with a urine steroid test, the researchers could accurately identify patients who could achieve normal blood pressure without medication after surgery.
The study highlights that these aldosterone-producing nodules are tiny and often missed on regular CT scans.
But when they light up briefly after the dye injection, they become clear indicators of hypertension, which can often be cured. Before this discovery, 99% of these cases went undiagnosed due to test limitations.
Moreover, when this scan is combined with a urine test, it identifies patients who can completely stop their blood pressure medications post-treatment.
This discovery has immense implications. High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke.
By identifying patients who could benefit from surgery to remove these nodules, this new method could significantly reduce the number of people suffering from high blood pressure and potentially save lives.
The researchers hope this non-invasive and reliable diagnostic method will soon be available in hospitals worldwide. However, more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness in larger patient groups.
This groundbreaking study by Professor Morris Brown and colleagues, published in Nature Medicine, not only provides a new understanding of a cause of high blood pressure but also opens the door to more effective and targeted treatments.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about a common and unrecognized cause of high blood pressure, and this small habit can greatly benefit people with high blood pressure, and cholesterol.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that Beetroot juice could help lower high blood pressure, and results showing this common plant nutrient could help reduce high blood pressure.
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