2023-06-13 17:01:25
British researchers have discovered a genetic mutation that causes a common type of high blood pressure. In addition, thanks to surgery, patients with severe hypertension did not need any medication for years.
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Hypertension is defined by too high blood pressure. In most people who suffer from it, the cause is unknown and the disease requires the lifelong use of one or more medications. However, one of the most common causes, called aldosteronoma, are non-cancerous growths in the adrenal glands above the kidneys. These tumors can disrupt the production of aldosterone, a hormone that regulates salt levels in the body.
Surgery to replace taking medication?
In a new study published in Nature Genetics, British scientists have found that in 5-10% of people with hypertension, a genetic mutation in the adrenal glands leads to the production of excessive amounts of aldosterone. ” The hormone causes the body to retain salt, which raises blood pressure. Patients with excessive blood aldosterone levels are resistant to drugs commonly used to treat hypertension and are at increased risk of heart attack and stroke “, explain the researchers.
The research team then found a way to correct this imbalance with a unilateral adrenalectomy, that is, the removal of one of the two adrenal glands. During the following years, the patients who benefited from it, and whose hypertension was severe, were able to stop their treatment. Scientists are currently studying the possibility of burning off the tiny nodules instead of surgically removing the entire adrenal gland.
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