November 28, 2011
New test detects curable cause of high blood
pressure
A new test developed through
BHF-funded research could help some patients with high blood
pressure, also called hypertension.
A team led by Professor Morris Brown at the University of
Cambridge have developed the test, which uses a
'PET-CT' scan to detect a condition called
Conn's adenoma. The condition is thought to be the underlying cause
of raised blood pressure in around one in 20 people with
hypertension. The research tested the scan on only 44
patients so it's still at an early stage, but the researchers
now plan further studies to work out which patients could benefit
the most in the future.
Conn's adenoma
Patients with Conn's adenoma have a small
growth - about the size of a five pence coin - in one of
their adrenal glands (which sit next to the kidneys). The
growth disrupts the production of aldosterone, a hormone
involved in regulating blood pressure.
Dr Shannon Amoils, our Research Advisor, said:
“Conn’s syndrome is the most common curable cause
of high blood pressure. And although it affects only a small
fraction of people with hypertension, it’s almost certainly more
widespread than we previously thought. There are drugs that
can control the high blood pressure caused by Conn’s syndrome, but
the only cure is surgery, so making the diagnosis is very
important.
"This new approach, using a PET-CT scan,
offers real hope that more people with Conn’s syndrome will be
accurately diagnosed in the future.”
The study was funded by the
BHF and the National Institute for
Health Research (NIHR), the research funding arm of the NHS. It
was published in the
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.