Taking care of your heart health New test saves time for hypertension patients
The hypertension unit at Greenslopes
Private Hospital is halving the
testing time for patients with high
blood pressure caused by primary
aldosteronism.
Primary aldosteronism is an adrenal
gland condition which causes excessive
amounts of a salt-retaining hormone in
the body, leading to high blood pressure.
Hypertension unit operator, Professor
Michael Stowasser said this condition
is specifically treatable and quite often
curable.
Previously, patients suspected to have
the condition had to be admitted as
an inpatient for five days, while they
took salt medication and a tablet called
fludrocortisone to suppress the hormone.
But the unit has managed to convert the
test into a six-hour outpatient process.
“Nowadays we can do it by infusing
salty water called normal saline - two
litres over four hours - while sitting in a
Extreme cold helps heart patients at Greenslopes
6 | GPH News – May 2019
chair. This has really made it much easier
for people to diagnose the condition,”
Professor Stowasser said.
The unit has been a clinical and research
unit since it was established in 1970 by
Emeritus Professor Richard Gordon.
In the early 1990s, Professor Gordon
challenged the theory that primary
aldosteronism was a rare condition, by
testing more patients who were referred
to the unit with hypertension.
“We went from diagnosing less than
10 patients a year, to diagnosing 100
patients a year,” Professor Stowasser
said.
Greenslopes Private Hospital’s
hypertension unit has grown from one
consultant to five, with a hypertension
nurse who ensures all the diagnostic
protocols run smoothly.
The aims of the unit are to help patients
diagnose whether they are truly
hypertensive, establish how severe
their condition is and determine the
underlying cause.
“The ultimate goal is to make sure
we can control their blood pressure
as best as possible and prevent the
complications which can occur which
include heart attacks, stroke and kidney
disease,” Professor Stowasser said.
Each year, the unit receives more than
250 new referrals, but there are ways
people can help to keep their blood
pressure at a healthy range without
having to rely on medication.
“Keep a healthy weight range, avoid
excessive alcohol, trying to avoid salt and
regular exercise are ways to lower your
blood pressure,” Professor Stowasser
said.
Patients who have been diagnosed with
hypertension can help manage their own
blood pressure at home using a blood
pressure monitor.
Patients suffering irregular heartbeat
will now have access to more effective
treatment, with the arrival of cryoablation
at Greenslopes Private Hospital.
The procedure uses extreme cold to
destroy the heart cells that cause atrial
fibrillation, which is an arrhythmia that can
lead to severe cardiac issues.
Nurse unit manager Emma Neylan said:
“Arrhythmias are abnormal rhythms of
the heart that can cause many health
issues including heart failure, exercise
intolerance, fatigue, and even death,
depending on the type of rhythm.”
The technique involves the doctor
inserting a balloon catheter into the heart
chambers and blood vessels, guided by
medical imaging. Once the catheter is in
the correct position, a cold gas is used to
inflate the balloon to freeze and disable
the unwanted heart cells.
Electrophysiologist Dr Vincent Deen has
helped to bring the new procedure to the
hospital.
“I think this procedure is going to be
more effective in terms of recurrence.
Trials have shown it’s as effective as radio
frequency techniques, but quicker,” Dr
Deen said.
Dr Deen has been working at
Greenslopes Private Hospital since
1999 and has performed more than
200 cryoablation procedures during
his career.
“It’s easier to do so we can undertake
two or three procedures in the same time
it takes to do the radio frequency case.
This means the lab can put more cases
through and we can help more patients,”
Dr Deen said.
The risk of developing atrial fibrillation
increases with age and it currently affects
two in every 100 people.
The procedure takes an hour and a half
and is recommended for patients when
prescribed medication fails to work.