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A new scan to detect and cure the commonest cause of high blood pressure

qmul.ac.uk

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Re: A new scan to detect and cure the commonest cause of high blood pressure

#71

Post by aksss »

aantix wrote: post #41

I had my left adrenal gland taken out in September. TL;DR - If you know someone that takes a lot of blood pressure medications and has for many years, have them see an endocrinologist and get them screened for hyperaldosteronism ( aka Conn's syndrome ). Kind of a crazy story. I've had blood pressure (BP) issues since my senior year of high school. 1996. Started taking my first medication then. Since then, I've had on…

Just a PSA (and no pun intended): in most places in the US these days, blood screening can be done without a doctor’s order and often more cheaply than what insurance will pay. Particularly if you pay direct, skip the doctor referral and order (and own) your own blood work. NOTE: this assumes you are not a nincompoop and enough of a research hound to understand what you’re ordering, how to understand the results in context, and ultimately return to a specialist for expert opinion. GP’s aren’t the gatekeepers they once were for blood tests.

Re: A new scan to detect and cure the commonest cause of high blood pressure

#72

Post by ManuelKiessling »

skyyler wrote: post #70
ManuelKiessling wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t understand your need to be rude after learning that someone is not a native speaker.

If you aren't a native speaker why did you try to correct the writer of the article? You're allowed to be rude but I am not? I don't want this to be a flame war, I want you to actually reflect on why you think you're allowed to be rude but I am not.

I wasn’t rude, I was wrong, and any blame for this is totally accepted.

I wasn’t rude, because I wasn’t adressing anyone in particular — I wasn’t writing on qmul.ac.uk or in an email to the author.

You were communicating directly with me, and I found it unnecessarily rude.

Edit: oh and btw you are totally and absolutely “allowed” to be rude, it’s not something I find off-limits or the likes. Just know that I find it… well, rude.

Re: A new scan to detect and cure the commonest cause of high blood pressure

#74

Post by Rebelgecko »

golem14 wrote: post #32
Rebelgecko wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably not. The sticker price of my blood pressure medicine comes out to like $60/yr. The scan alone would probably cost more than 40 years of medication (and the #s are potentially much worse if you consider time value of money and all that)

Cost to you, or combined cost for you / insurer ? Honest question.

If I went to Costco and paid cash without invoking my insurance it would be $16 for a 90 day supply (so actually closer to $65/year, oops).

When I go through my insurance with their preferred pharmacy, I don't pay anything. But according to CVS my insurance company pays $1.87 for 90 pills, so about $7/year

Re: A new scan to detect and cure the commonest cause of high blood pressure

#76

Post by jamesgill »

themantalope wrote: post #48
vjk800 wrote: post #3

Can someone who knows more about the field to comment on whether this is as revolutionary as it sounds?

Radiologist. It’s cool, it’s a nice study. The article definitely over hypes the “common cause of hypertension”. These lesions are rare. Most people with high blood pressure have it because of metabolic disease/chronic stress/lifestyle, and it can be managed with changes to diet exercise and meds. It is true that doing adrenal vein sampling is hard and not always successful. Having a protocol that can non-invasively…

Thanks for this. Metabolic/stress/lifestyle problems were exactly my story. I had hypertension, anxiety, and was prediabetic. Using low carb and intermittent fasting, I lost 91 pounds, was no longer prediabetic, and went completely off bp meds. Anxiety is managed much better (no meds). My doc was amazed.

Re: A new scan to detect and cure the commonest cause of high blood pressure

#77

Post by skyyler »

ManuelKiessling wrote: post #72
skyyler wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you aren't a native speaker why did you try to correct the writer of the article? You're allowed to be rude but I am not? I don't want this to be a flame war, I want you to actually reflect on why you think you're allowed to be rude but I am not.

I wasn’t rude, I was wrong, and any blame for this is totally accepted. I wasn’t rude, because I wasn’t adressing anyone in particular — I wasn’t writing on qmul.ac.uk or in an email to the author. You were communicating directly with me, and I found it unnecessarily rude. Edit: oh and btw you are totally and absolutely “allowed” to be rude, it’s not something I find off-limits or the likes. Just know that I find it……

Honestly, my apologies. I’m quitting nicotine after ten years of (ab)using it.

I should probably stay off the internet for a while.

Again, my apologies.

Re: A new scan to detect and cure the commonest cause of high blood pressure

#78

Post by samuraixp »

aantix wrote: post #41

I had my left adrenal gland taken out in September. TL;DR - If you know someone that takes a lot of blood pressure medications and has for many years, have them see an endocrinologist and get them screened for hyperaldosteronism ( aka Conn's syndrome ). Kind of a crazy story. I've had blood pressure (BP) issues since my senior year of high school. 1996. Started taking my first medication then. Since then, I've had on…

Wow, super happy for you. Just to add to this I will say that I was mis-diagnosed with an adrenal lesion which turned out to be incidentaloma. I had an adrenal gland removed however the treatment was non curative.

At the time I asked why they weren't suggesting adrenal venous sampling and was looked at like I was an idiot by the resident doctor. Turns out she was the idiot. A specialist later told me they were probably too unskilled to do the adrenal sampling.

Also the cyp11 b1/b2 PCR test has existed for ages and is in the literature. Years later I had some DNA testing and discovered I have an even rarer version of PA called Familial Type 1 caused by a non stop mutation on CYP11b1/b2, hence why the adrenalectomy did nothing.

While its rarer, the test is only a few hundred dollars. To others... a pro tip: get a pre-genetic screening test even if you aren't having kids, the cost is cheap and the result might be life changing to you TODAY.

I feel an order of magnitude better since silencing the over production of that hormone and my doctor tells me that anecdotally practitioners report patients coming out of curative surgery for nodules or on dexamethasone for type 1 often report feeling like a cloud is lifted from their mind.... I can confirm this is true.

Sadly you really do need to, push, research and be your own advocate to get the best outcomes.

Re: A new scan to detect and cure the commonest cause of high blood pressure

#79

Post by aantix »

samuraixp wrote: post #78
aantix wrote: post #41

I had my left adrenal gland taken out in September. TL;DR - If you know someone that takes a lot of blood pressure medications and has for many years, have them see an endocrinologist and get them screened for hyperaldosteronism ( aka Conn's syndrome ). Kind of a crazy story. I've had blood pressure (BP) issues since my senior year of high school. 1996. Started taking my first medication then. Since then, I've had on…

Wow, super happy for you. Just to add to this I will say that I was mis-diagnosed with an adrenal lesion which turned out to be incidentaloma. I had an adrenal gland removed however the treatment was non curative. At the time I asked why they weren't suggesting adrenal venous sampling and was looked at like I was an idiot by the resident doctor. Turns out she was the idiot. A specialist later told me they were probab…

What an amazing story - thank you for sharing.

Is there any specific type/brand of DNA testing you utilized?

Re: A new scan to detect and cure the commonest cause of high blood pressure

#80

Post by golem14 »

Traubenfuchs wrote: post #33
golem14 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't the described remedial procedure to take a radioactive substance that will burn out the nodules ?) That's not that expensive or invasive. I understand something similar is done for Morbus Basedow / Grave's disease with the thyroid gland.

The linked article references "surgically curable primary aldosteronism". You are probably referencing "radioiodine therapy" which is highly specific to thyroid issues.

My bad, I was misreading. They use the radioactive stuff just like a contrast fluid.
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