High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the most common health problems in the world. It happens when the force of blood pushing through the blood vessels stays too high for a long time.
When this pressure remains elevated, it can slowly damage the heart, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels. Over time, untreated high blood pressure can lead to serious conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and even early death.
Because high blood pressure often causes no obvious symptoms, many people do not know they have it until it has already harmed their health. For this reason, doctors sometimes call hypertension a “silent killer.” Millions of people take medication every day to control their blood pressure and reduce the risk of complications.
In many cases, doctors cannot identify the exact cause of high blood pressure. This form is known as primary or essential hypertension. It is usually linked to a combination of genetic factors, diet, lifestyle, and aging. People may need to take medicine for the rest of their lives to manage the condition.
However, scientists have long suspected that some people with high blood pressure may actually have a specific medical cause that could be treated or even cured. Now, researchers in the United Kingdom have made an important discovery that could change how certain patients are diagnosed and treated.
A team of doctors and scientists from Queen Mary University of London, Barts Hospital, and Cambridge University Hospital have found a new way to identify a hidden cause of high blood pressure. Their research focuses on tiny growths in the adrenal glands, which are small organs located just above the kidneys.
The adrenal glands produce several important hormones that control different functions in the body. One of these hormones is called aldosterone. Aldosterone plays a key role in controlling the balance of salt and water in the body. By regulating salt levels, this hormone helps control blood pressure.
In some people, the adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone. When this happens, the body holds on to too much salt. Extra salt causes the body to retain more water, which increases the volume of blood in the vessels. As a result, blood pressure rises.
This condition is known as primary aldosteronism. It is believed to be responsible for a significant number of high blood pressure cases, but it has often been difficult to detect.
The researchers found that about one in twenty people with high blood pressure may actually have tiny lumps in their adrenal glands that produce too much aldosterone. These lumps are usually extremely small and are often invisible on standard medical scans.
Until recently, diagnosing this condition required a complicated and uncomfortable test called adrenal vein sampling.
This procedure involves inserting tiny tubes into blood vessels to measure hormone levels directly from each adrenal gland. Because the test is technically difficult and not widely available, many hospitals do not perform it. As a result, many patients with this condition remain undiagnosed.
The new research offers a much simpler way to find these hidden hormone-producing lumps. The scientists used a special type of CT scan together with a urine test. In this scan, doctors inject a substance called metomidate into the patient’s bloodstream.
Metomidate is a special dye that is slightly radioactive but safe to use in medical imaging. The dye attaches specifically to the adrenal tissue that is producing too much aldosterone. When this happens, the abnormal area lights up on the scan for a short period of time. This allows doctors to clearly see the exact location of the tiny lump.
The research team tested this new method in 128 patients whose high blood pressure was suspected to be caused by excess aldosterone. The results were very promising. The scan successfully identified the abnormal adrenal gland in every patient studied.
This is a major improvement compared with older testing methods, which often produced unclear results or sometimes failed completely. By combining the new scan with a urine test, doctors were also able to predict which patients would benefit from surgery.
For patients with a single small lump producing excess hormone, surgery can remove the affected adrenal gland. When this gland is removed, the source of the extra aldosterone disappears. In many cases, the patient’s blood pressure returns to normal levels.
Some patients may no longer need blood pressure medication after surgery. For others, the number of medicines they need may be greatly reduced. This offers real hope for people whose high blood pressure is caused by this hidden hormonal problem.
The research was led by Professor Morris Brown, who explained that these adrenal lumps are often far too small to be seen using normal imaging methods. With this new scanning technique, doctors can finally identify them and treat the underlying cause of the disease.
Professor William Drake, another lead researcher in the project, said the discovery was the result of many years of careful scientific work. The research team has spent a long time studying the role of adrenal hormones in blood pressure control.
Their earlier studies also showed that between five and ten percent of people with high blood pressure may have genetic changes in their adrenal glands that lead to excessive aldosterone production. These patients often do not respond well to standard blood pressure medications and may face a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes.
By identifying and removing the hormone-producing lumps, doctors may be able to cure high blood pressure in these individuals. This could greatly improve their long-term health and reduce the risk of serious complications.
The study was published in the medical journal Nature Medicine. Researchers believe that if future studies confirm these findings, the new scanning method could become a routine test in hospitals around the world. This would help doctors identify many more patients who could benefit from surgery and potentially be cured of their high blood pressure.
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.
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