High blood pressure is a widespread health issue affecting millions of people worldwide.
The current standard treatment involves taking daily medication to keep blood pressure under control.
However, this method isn’t always effective for everyone—over half of the people prescribed these medications often forget to take them, putting their health at risk.
When high blood pressure goes unmanaged, it significantly increases the chances of severe health problems such as strokes, heart attacks, and even early death. This has created a strong need for a simpler, more reliable solution to manage blood pressure effectively.
Researchers may have found that solution in a new drug called zilebesiran, a promising treatment that could transform how high blood pressure is managed.
Scientists from multiple institutions, including the University of Edinburgh, have been studying the effects of zilebesiran, and the results so far are encouraging.
Unlike traditional daily pills, zilebesiran is administered as a single injection that can keep blood pressure under control for up to six months.
In clinical trials conducted in the UK, participants who received the drug experienced a significant drop in their systolic blood pressure—the measure of the pressure in arteries when the heart pumps blood.
For those who received doses of 200 milligrams or higher, blood pressure dropped by more than 10 mmHg on average. The highest dose, 800 milligrams, resulted in a decrease of over 20 mmHg.
These reductions are enough to move many patients from dangerous levels into a healthier range, potentially lowering their risk of heart-related complications.
So how does this breakthrough drug work? Zilebesiran targets a hormone called angiotensin, which plays a key role in raising blood pressure by narrowing blood vessels. The drug works by halting the production of a protein called angiotensinogen, the starting point for angiotensin.
It does this by using cutting-edge gene-silencing technology to turn off the gene responsible for producing angiotensinogen, effectively reducing the hormone’s levels in the body. This innovative approach directly addresses one of the root causes of high blood pressure.
The clinical trial involved 107 participants with high blood pressure, with 80 receiving a single injection of zilebesiran and the rest given a placebo (a treatment with no active drug).
The results demonstrated zilebesiran’s potential as a long-lasting solution for blood pressure management. However, more research is needed to confirm its safety and understand how it affects patients over the long term.
Professor David Webb from the University of Edinburgh, who was involved in the study, expressed optimism about the drug’s potential. “This is a potentially big step forward for treating high blood pressure,” he said.
“We haven’t seen a new type of drug for this condition in 17 years. A treatment like this could make it much easier for people to stick to their plans. Our next focus is on ensuring it’s safe and effective before it can be approved for widespread use.”
If future studies confirm its safety and effectiveness, zilebesiran could become a groundbreaking option for millions of people, offering a more convenient and reliable way to manage high blood pressure.
By eliminating the need for daily pills, it could improve adherence to treatment and ultimately save lives.
For those interested in managing high blood pressure, understanding small lifestyle changes or unrecognized causes can also make a big difference.
Meanwhile, developments like zilebesiran offer hope for a future where managing this common condition could be simpler and more effective.
The findings of this study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about what to eat and to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the connection between potato and high blood pressure, and how to eat your way to healthy blood pressure.
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