Laboratory Testing for Endocrine Hypertension: Current and Future Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Secondary hypertension (SH) arises from identifiable underlying conditions, posing significant cardiovascular risk.
• While less common than primary hypertension, SH requires prompt diagnosis and management due to potential curability.
• Endocrine disorders are a key focus in secondary hypertension etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review endocrine causes of secondary hypertension.
• To discuss current diagnostic biomarkers, methods, and strategies.
• To explore the role of emerging -omics technologies in SH assessment.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on endocrine causes of SH.
• Analysis of established and emerging biomarkers and analytical techniques.
• Evaluation of diagnostic strategies for SH phenotypes.

Main Results:

• Endocrine SH is complex, necessitating thorough screening and confirmatory testing.
• Biomarker interpretation requires careful consideration of interferences and variability.
• Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry offers superior sensitivity for low-concentration hormone measurement.

Conclusions:

• Proper screening and testing are vital to prevent diagnostic delays in endocrine SH.
• Expertise is required for advanced analytical methods like LC-MS/MS.
• -Omics technologies hold promise for identifying novel SH biomarkers and therapeutic targets.