
Doctors in the UK have developed a simple, non-surgical treatment that could change how we treat one of the most overlooked causes of high blood pressure.
Called Targeted Thermal Therapy (Triple T), this new approach offers a quick, safe, and effective way to treat a condition called primary aldosteronism—without the need for major surgery.
The results of the first trial were published in The Lancet and show great promise for improving care for millions of people worldwide.
Primary aldosteronism is a condition where small, benign lumps in one or both adrenal glands produce too much of a hormone called aldosterone. This hormone increases salt levels in the body, raising blood pressure. While it’s a known cause of high blood pressure, it often goes undiagnosed.
In fact, it’s estimated that one in 20 people with high blood pressure may have primary aldosteronism—but less than 1% are ever diagnosed. Standard blood pressure medicines usually don’t work well for them, and they face higher risks of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney problems.
Until now, the only real cure was to remove the entire adrenal gland through surgery, which requires general anaesthesia, several days in the hospital, and a long recovery. This has left many patients untreated.
Triple T offers a game-changing alternative. Instead of removing the whole gland, this method uses heat to destroy just the tiny nodule that is causing the problem, leaving the rest of the gland untouched. This is done using a thin camera (an endoscope) that goes through the mouth and down to the stomach.
With the help of ultrasound and special scans, the doctor can see the adrenal gland and guide a fine needle directly into the nodule. Then, short bursts of heat are used to burn the nodule while avoiding harm to nearby tissue. The entire procedure takes just 20 minutes, and there are no cuts or incisions needed.
This new treatment was tested in a study called FABULAS, which included 28 patients with primary aldosteronism. All had nodules in their left adrenal gland, as shown by advanced imaging scans. The results were impressive: the procedure was safe, hormone levels returned to normal in most patients, and many were able to stop taking blood pressure medications altogether.
One participant, Michelina Alfieri, shared how the treatment changed her life. For years, she had suffered from severe headaches and poor health despite multiple doctor visits. After undergoing Triple T, she recovered immediately and returned to her normal routine. “I’m incredibly grateful to the team for giving me this choice,” she said.
Professor Morris Brown, a leading expert in endocrine hypertension and co-author of the study, believes this technique could finally fulfill a decades-old prediction that many cases of high blood pressure could be traced to small adrenal tumors—and now, be safely cured.
A larger trial called WAVE is now underway to compare Triple T with traditional surgery in 120 patients. Results are expected in 2027. If successful, this could lead to widespread adoption of the new treatment, making it available in hospitals around the world.
Experts say this breakthrough was made possible thanks to advances in imaging technology, especially the use of special PET scans that can clearly identify hormone-producing adrenal nodules. This allows doctors to diagnose the condition more accurately and treat it directly.
Professor Mark Gurnell, a senior endocrinologist from Cambridge, said, “Thanks to this work, we may finally be able to help more people with primary aldosteronism, lowering their risk of heart disease and reducing the need for lifelong medication.”
With the help of further studies and training, Triple T could become a new standard in treating one of the most curable but often missed causes of high blood pressure—offering patients faster recovery, fewer risks, and better long-term health.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
The research findings can be found in The Lancet.
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