High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a common and serious health problem. It can quietly damage the body over time and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems.
Many people live with high blood pressure for years without knowing the exact cause. Because of this, they often need to take medication for life to keep their condition under control.
Doctors often describe high blood pressure like blowing too much air into a balloon. As the pressure builds up, the risk of damage increases.
In the same way, when blood pushes too strongly against the walls of the arteries, it can harm the heart and other organs. For a large number of patients, the exact reason for this pressure is unclear, which makes treatment more challenging.
Now, a new study from researchers at Queen Mary University of London, Barts Hospital, and Cambridge University Hospital offers a promising breakthrough.
The scientists have discovered that in some people, high blood pressure is caused by tiny lumps in the adrenal glands. These glands sit just above the kidneys and produce hormones that control many functions in the body, including blood pressure.
These small lumps produce too much of a hormone called aldosterone. This hormone causes the body to hold on to salt and water, which increases blood pressure. When too much aldosterone is produced, it can lead to severe hypertension that does not respond well to standard medications.
For decades, doctors have known that aldosterone could play a role in high blood pressure. However, finding the exact source of the problem has been very difficult. The only available test was complicated, not always accurate, and only offered in a few specialized hospitals. As a result, many patients with this condition were never diagnosed properly.
In this new study, researchers used a special type of CT scan along with a simple urine test to identify the problem more clearly. The scan uses a substance called metomidate, which attaches to the cells that produce aldosterone.
This substance contains a small and safe amount of radioactivity, allowing doctors to see exactly where the hormone is being produced.
When the scan is performed, the problematic lumps light up for a short time, making them easy to detect. These lumps are usually very small and often missed by normal scans, which is why they have remained hidden for so long.
The researchers studied 128 patients who had high blood pressure linked to excess aldosterone. The results were very encouraging.
In about two-thirds of these patients, the scan showed that the extra hormone was coming from a lump in one adrenal gland. When these lumps were removed through surgery, many patients were able to stop taking their blood pressure medications.
Overall, the findings suggest that about 1 in 20 people with high blood pressure may have this hidden and treatable cause. This is a significant number, considering how common hypertension is worldwide.
Professor Morris Brown, one of the lead researchers, explained that these tiny lumps have been overlooked for many years because they are so difficult to see. With this new imaging method, doctors can now find them more easily and offer a treatment that could potentially cure the condition.
Another researcher, Professor William Drake, highlighted that this discovery is the result of many years of work by the research team. Despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the team continued their efforts and achieved a breakthrough that could change how high blood pressure is treated.
This study also builds on earlier findings that showed some people have genetic changes in their adrenal glands that lead to excess aldosterone production. These patients often have a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes and do not respond well to usual medications.
The new technique provides a clearer path forward. Instead of managing symptoms for life, some patients may now have the option of a targeted treatment that removes the root cause of their high blood pressure.
Published in the journal Nature Medicine, this research represents an important step in understanding and treating hypertension. It shows that in some cases, high blood pressure is not just a lifelong condition to manage, but a problem that can potentially be fixed.
As more hospitals adopt this scanning method, more patients may be identified and treated successfully. This could reduce the need for long-term medication and improve quality of life for many people.
This discovery brings new hope and highlights how advances in medical technology can uncover hidden causes of disease and lead to more effective treatments.
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 How to eat your way to healthy blood pressure and results showing that Modified traditional Chinese cuisine can lower blood pressure.
Copyright © 2026 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
