Scientists have created a new type of CT scan that can find tiny nodules in the adrenal glands—small glands located above the kidneys.
These nodules produce too much of a hormone called aldosterone, which can cause high blood pressure in some people.
This new discovery could change the way doctors treat high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. The study was led by doctors from Queen Mary University of London, Barts Hospital, and Cambridge University Hospital and was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
For many years, doctors have had a hard time finding these tiny nodules. The only way to detect them was through a difficult and invasive test using a catheter, which is not only uncomfortable but also only available in a few hospitals. This test often fails. The new scan, however, is painless, quick, and worked well for every patient in the study.
The researchers looked at 128 patients who had high blood pressure due to high levels of aldosterone. They discovered that about two-thirds of these patients had a small, non-cancerous nodule in just one of their adrenal glands. Removing that one gland could cure their high blood pressure.
The scan works by using a special radioactive dye called metomidate. This dye sticks only to the nodule that is making too much aldosterone. When doctors take a CT scan, the overactive gland glows brightly, making it easy to find. This method gives doctors a fast and clear picture of where the problem is.
Even better, when this scan is combined with a simple urine test, doctors can better predict who will be cured after surgery. In the study, the combination helped doctors correctly identify 18 out of 24 patients who were able to stop taking blood pressure medicine after having the gland removed.
Right now, most people with high blood pressure don’t know what causes it. They often have to take medicine for the rest of their lives. But earlier research has shown that around 1 in 10 people with high blood pressure may have a gene change in their adrenal glands that leads to too much aldosterone.
This hormone makes the body hold onto salt, which raises blood pressure and makes it harder to treat.
Professor Morris Brown, one of the lead researchers, explained that these nodules are very small and are easy to miss on regular scans.
But with the new dye, they glow and show themselves as the real reason for the high blood pressure. He added that 99% of these cases are not found today because the older test is too hard to do. This new scan could help change that.
Professor William Drake, another senior author, praised the hard work and teamwork behind the study. He said that many research staff worked tirelessly—even during the COVID-19 pandemic—to make this breakthrough possible.
This new CT scan could lead to a future where people with high blood pressure receive more personalized care. Instead of just managing the disease with daily medicine, some people might be able to cure it completely by removing the small hormone-producing nodule.
The scientists hope that this scan will soon be available in more hospitals. If that happens, many more people could benefit. This could reduce the number of people with uncontrolled high blood pressure and lower their risk of heart attacks and strokes.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about breakfast for better blood pressure management, and the gut feeling that lowers blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how the dash diet helps lower blood pressure, and how to eat your way to healthy blood pressure.
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