Changi General Hospital (CGH), through the Shimadzu-CGH Clinomics Centre (SC³), has successfully started performing clinical tests in Singapore for patients to identify those with primary aldosteronism, a common but lesser-known, curable form of hypertension.

Harnessing the technology of liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry and powered by artificial intelligence, new clinical tests which accurately measure for the hormones aldosterone and renin were launched in February 2023 to enhance patient outcomes locally and in the region.

In 2021, the SC³ was established, bringing together the clinical and research expertise of CGH with Shimadzu’s diagnostic and analytical capabilities to contribute to enhanced medical care and treatment of hypertension in Singapore.

Through a blood test of individuals with hypertension conducted at the SC³, the precise measurements for the hormones aldosterone and renin enables the identification of individuals with salt-sensitive hypertension and those with the curable form of hypertension, primary aldosteronism. To date, CGH has conducted over 1,000 clinical tests in patients with hypertension.

In Singapore, hypertension is the major cause of heart disease and stroke. According to findings from the Ministry of Health’s National Population Health Survey 2022 and Health Promotion Board’s National Nutrition Survey 2022, high blood pressure, or hypertension, affects one in three adult Singaporeans, with local prevalence of hypertension having almost doubled over the last decade.