Scientists find a hidden cause of high blood pressure that routine tests can miss
A new wearable device allows for continuous hormone monitoring, helping doctors detect primary aldosteronism, a common but often missed cause of high blood pressure. This method captures nighttime hormone surges that standard, one-time blood tests typically fail to identify.
Why it matters
Improved detection of this hormone disorder could prevent serious health complications like stroke and heart disease for millions of undiagnosed patients.
A common and frequently missed cause of high blood pressure may be easier to detect with help from a wearable device that tracks hormone changes throughout the day and night.
New research published in Science Translational Medicine focuses on primary aldosteronism, a hormone disorder that may affect up to one in five people with high blood pressure. The condition is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other serious health problems.
Researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of Manchester in the UK, the University of Bergen in Norway, and collaborators in Stockholm and Athens found that people with primary aldosteronism can experience bursts of hormone production both during the day and while asleep at night. Those nighttime surges are especially important because routine blood tests are rarely performed during sleep.
A Wearable Device Tracks Hormones Around the Clock
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in