Pressure getting too much? Don’t fret
For those people whose high blood pressure does not respond to the usual medications, there may be good news on the horizon. Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne have trialled a new treatment which can “sizzle” nerves that produce hormones which affect your blood pressure.
For those people whose high blood pressure does not respond to the usual medications, there may be good news on the horizon.
Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne have trialled a new treatment which can “sizzle” nerves that produce hormones which affect your blood pressure.
The group of researchers have piloted a technique which takes a catheter, threaded from the thigh up to the artery in your kidneys.
There are nerves called sympathetic nerves which go alongside these arteries and produce hormones which affect your blood pressure. These nerves can be destroyed by applying heat through the artery wall.
The pilot study showed this process can control blood pressure in a significant proportion of people who suffer from dangerously high blood pressure.
It may also be able to reduce the medications people need to take in order to manage their high blood pressure.
Although researchers suggested it was not yet a “proven” blood pressure treatment, the results of the pilot study could be “something to fall back on” if high blood pressure drugs are not doing the trick.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a significant cause of premature death in Australia.
The hard facts:
- High blood pressure can cause heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.
- Lowering your blood pressure and keeping it down is very important.
- Exercise, weight loss, reducing alcohol and salt intake all make a difference, but in some people medications are necessary.
Do you, or someone you know, suffer from high blood pressure? What measures are you taking to keep your blood pressure down? Share your suggestions in the comment box below.
