00:00A hidden hormone disorder could be contributing to millions of high blood pressure cases.
00:05Researchers from the University of Bristol and partner institutions say standard blood tests may sometimes miss it.
00:11The condition, called primary aldosteronism, occurs when the adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone.
00:17That hormone affects how the body regulates salt, water, and blood pressure.
00:22Scientists monitored 60 patients across Bristol, Bergen, Stockholm, and Athens.
00:26A wearable device measured hormone levels every 20 minutes for a continuous 24 hours.
00:32The researchers discovered brief hormone surges during both waking hours and sleep.
00:37Nighttime spikes could be particularly difficult to detect because routine blood tests are rarely taken while patients sleep.
00:44In some patients, hormone levels temporarily fell below standard diagnostic thresholds, potentially hiding the disorder.
00:51The unusual hormone bursts disappeared after an affected adrenal gland was surgically removed.
00:56Researchers say continuous monitoring could eventually improve detection of this potentially curable cause of hypertension.
01:04But larger studies are needed before wearable hormone tracking can become part of routine medical care.
01:09Disclosure.
01:10This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
