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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Renovascular Hypertension

Diagnosis & Tests

How is the disease diagnosed?

Diagnosis is made by looking at health records, and doing a physical exam and lab tests. Most people with this disease have very high blood pressure despite taking many drugs to control it. If they begin taking ACE inhibitors, they often develop low blood pressure or kidney failure.

These tests are usually done:

the captopril test, where captopril is given to see if the blood pressure drops

ACE inhibitor-stimulated renography, which is an X-ray of the kidney and its blood system, taken after the patient is given an ACE-inhibitor such as captopril

duplex ultrasound

magnetic resonance arteriography (MRA) (special three-dimensional imaging using magnets). During this test, a group of pictures are taken of the arteries around the kidney. This information allows physicians to see the flow of blood to the kidneys and determine the location and amount of blood vessel blockage.

renal arteriogram (x-ray test in which dye is injected into the artery to make sure it is not blocked or narrowed). This test is used if a doctor thinks a person has this disease, but the MRA wasn't clear, or if a doctor needs a clearer picture of the blocked arteries.

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