High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common health issue affecting millions of people worldwide.
It can often be managed with a combination of lifestyle changes and medications, but for about one-third of patients, these measures aren’t enough to control their blood pressure effectively.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to severe health issues, including heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and kidney damage.
A recent study explored a new device that may offer hope for patients struggling with high blood pressure. This device uses ultrasound to calm overactive nerves in the kidneys, specifically targeting the renal artery, which plays an important role in blood pressure regulation.
The procedure is called “ultrasound renal denervation,” and it works by calming these kidney nerves that can cause the body to retain water and sodium and release hormones that raise blood pressure. By reducing this nerve activity, the device aims to help lower blood pressure.
In the study, led by Dr. Ajay Kirtane and his team at Columbia University, researchers analyzed data from over 500 middle-aged patients with different levels of high blood pressure.
The participants had already tried various medications and lifestyle adjustments but still had trouble keeping their blood pressure in check. The results were promising: people who received the ultrasound treatment saw their daytime blood pressure levels drop by an average of 8.5 points.
Remarkably, twice as many patients who received the actual treatment reached their blood pressure goals compared to those who received a placebo treatment.
One key advantage of this therapy is its speed. Many patients experienced improvements within just one month of the procedure, a significant benefit for people needing faster blood pressure control.
While the device isn’t yet approved for widespread use—it’s still undergoing clinical trials—it could eventually be offered to those who need extra help managing their blood pressure alongside other treatments like medication and lifestyle changes.
When the procedure becomes available, it could be used to help people who have tried other blood pressure management strategies without success. This could mean a big step forward in preventing the serious health risks associated with uncontrolled high blood pressure.
For anyone concerned about blood pressure health, ongoing studies highlight other helpful strategies, such as early time-restricted eating and taking blood pressure medications at the right time of day. Additionally, plant-based diets have shown promising results for supporting healthy blood pressure levels.
The findings from Dr. Kirtane’s study were published in JAMA Cardiology, providing hope that, with continued research and regulatory approval, ultrasound renal denervation may soon offer patients a new and effective way to manage high blood pressure.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing plant-based foods could benefit people with high blood pressure.
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