The research team at Queen Mary University of London, Barts Hospital and Cambridge University Hospital identified the hormone aldosterone as the cause. In two-thirds of the patients examined, this was due to a benign nodule in one of the two adrenal glands, which had previously been difficult to locate.
So far, such nodules might only be identified with the help of a complex catheter study. Disadvantage: it is complex, not painless and error-prone. In addition, the necessary equipment is not available everywhere. The new procedure is different: here the nodules are made visible using a short-acting radioactive material and can then be removed without any problems. The combination of this scan with a urine test meant that the researchers were able to predict with relative accuracy within ten minutes which interventions would lead to success.
Morris Brown, co-author of the study and Professor of Endocrine Hypertension at Queen Mary University of London, points out that the nodules’ small size meant they might easily be missed in previous tests. With the visualization and a comprehensive supply of appropriate tests, many patients with high blood pressure might be helped much better in the future.
