Hidden Hormone Spikes Signal High Blood Pressure
A new study published in Science Translational Medicine identifies primary aldosteronism as a common, often undiagnosed cause of high blood pressure. Researchers used a new portable monitoring device to detect hormone spikes that occur outside of clinical settings.
Why it matters
Improved diagnostic methods for this condition could significantly reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke.
The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, concerns a condition called primary aldosteronism - a hormone disorder which affects up to one in five people with high blood pressure and puts them at higher risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other major health problems.
Researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of Manchester in the UK, the University of Bergen in Norway, and partners in Stockholm and Athens found that patients with the disorder experienced bursts of hormone production during the day as well as in the night while asleep, when routine blood testing is rarely carried out.
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