Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (NASDAQ: CORT) presented data from its MOMENTUM trial showing that 27.3% of patients with resistant hypertension had hypercortisolism. The company shared the findings at the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session.

The MOMENTUM trial screened 1,086 patients with resistant hypertension across 50 sites in the United States. Researchers defined resistant hypertension using American Heart Association criteria, which includes systolic blood pressure of 130 mmHg or higher despite taking three or more blood-pressure medications including a diuretic, or taking four or more blood-pressure medications.

The study identified hypercortisolism in 297 patients using a 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test. Among patients with hemoglobin A1c of 7.5% or higher who were taking three or more blood pressure medicines, the prevalence reached 32.6%.

These results complement Corcept's CATALYST trial, which found hypercortisolism in 23.8% of 1,057 patients with difficult-to-control type 2 diabetes. In the CATALYST trial, patients with similar criteria showed a 36.6% prevalence rate.

"MOMENTUM shows that hypercortisolism contributes to resistant hypertension in over a quarter of patients and that screening for hypercortisolism in these challenging-to-treat patients may help physicians provide more personalized care," said Deepak L. Bhatt, Director of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, who presented the data and serves as a paid consultant to Corcept.

Hypercortisolism, also known as Cushing's syndrome, results from excessive cortisol activity and can cause hypertension, elevated blood sugar, and cardiovascular complications.