14 DAY TRIAL // University of Cambridge investigators say that they managed to develop a new test tool that could enable doctors to discover the presence of one of the leading causes of high blood pressure. If widely used, this approach could help save many lives each year.
The technique relies on using an imaging approach called positron emission tomography with x-ray computer tomography (PET-CT), which is perfectly capable of detecting signs of Conn’s syndrome. This condition accounts for 5 percent of all hypertension cases on record.
Treating the syndrome is fairly easy, but detecting it in time to do anything about it is another story entirely. An adenoma – a small coin-sized benign tumor in the adrenal glands – is usually the cause. The research team essentially created a radioactive marker to detect this tumor.
Altogether, the test takes about 45 minutes to conclude, including the PET-CT scan. The results are very precise, and could be used in hospitals around the world to tremendous effect.