High blood pressure affects millions of people around the world and is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and early death.
While many cases are linked to aging, diet, weight, or family history, some people have high blood pressure because of an underlying medical condition that can actually be cured.
One of these conditions is called primary aldosteronism, but it often goes undiagnosed.
Primary aldosteronism develops when one or both adrenal glands produce too much of the hormone aldosterone.
The adrenal glands sit above the kidneys and make hormones that control many important body functions. Too much aldosterone causes the body to keep extra salt and water, leading to high blood pressure and placing extra strain on the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys.
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London, Barts Health NHS Trust, University College London, and partners in Cambridge have developed a new treatment that may transform care for this condition.
Their study was published in The Lancet. The treatment, known as Targeted Thermal Therapy, or Triple T, is designed to destroy only the small lump in the adrenal gland that is producing too much hormone.
Experts estimate that about one in twenty people with high blood pressure may have primary aldosteronism. However, fewer than one percent are diagnosed because the condition usually causes no obvious symptoms. Many people only discover they have it after developing serious complications such as heart attack, stroke, or kidney damage.
Until now, the only cure has been surgery to remove the affected adrenal gland. Although effective, surgery requires general anaesthesia, an operation, several days of recovery, and the removal of the entire gland. As a result, many patients never receive curative treatment.
The new Triple T procedure is much less invasive. Doctors pass a thin flexible tube with a tiny camera through the mouth into the stomach.
Using detailed imaging to guide the procedure, they insert a fine needle into the small adrenal lump and apply a brief burst of heat to destroy it while leaving the healthy part of the gland untouched. The entire treatment usually takes about 20 minutes and requires no surgical cuts.
In the FABULAS clinical study, 28 people with primary aldosteronism received the new treatment. Six months later, most participants had normal hormone levels, and many were able to stop taking blood pressure medicines altogether.
One participant, Michelina Alfieri, reported that years of severe headaches disappeared after the treatment and that she quickly returned to normal daily activities.
The success of Triple T has also been made possible by new imaging technology. Special scans using advanced tracers allow doctors to identify the tiny hormone-producing lumps much more accurately than before. These scans help guide the needle directly to the target, making the treatment both precise and safe.
The encouraging results have led to a larger clinical trial called WAVE, which will compare Triple T directly with standard surgery.
The results are expected in 2027. If the findings confirm the early success, this treatment could become a standard option in hospitals worldwide and offer a simpler cure for many people living with this hidden cause of high blood pressure.
The researchers believe this approach could dramatically improve the diagnosis and treatment of primary aldosteronism.
By treating the true cause rather than simply controlling blood pressure with lifelong medicines, doctors may be able to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure for many patients. The study represents an important step toward more personalised and effective treatment for high blood pressure.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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