Hidden hormone spikes may reveal high blood pressure condition
A common but often overlooked cause of high blood pressure may be hiding in plain sight—and data from a pioneering wearable device could hold the key to its earlier diagnosis, according to new research.
Primary aldosteronism, a hormone disorder affecting up to one in five people with high blood pressure, may be diagnosed earlier thanks to a groundbreaking study using a wearable device. Researchers from the University of Bristol, University of Manchester, University of Bergen, Norway, and partners in Stockholm and Athens discovered that patients with the condition experience hormone spikes at night, often below the thresholds used for diagnosis.
By continuously monitoring hormone levels every 20 minutes over a 24-hour period, the study, published in Science Translational Medicine, revealed irregular patterns missed by traditional blood tests. The technology, known as U-RHYTHM, attached to patients' waists, allowed for real-time hormone measurement during normal daily activities.
The findings suggest that clinicians should consider testing hormone rhythms overnight, particularly in people whose disease is caused by an issue in only one adrenal gland, as the abnormal patterns often disappear after surgical removal of the affected gland.
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