High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common health issue affecting millions of people worldwide. The standard treatment usually involves taking daily medications, but this approach comes with challenges.
Many people struggle to remember their pills, and missing doses can make it harder to keep blood pressure under control.
Uncontrolled hypertension increases the risk of severe health problems like strokes, heart attacks, and even early death. Clearly, there’s a need for a simpler, more reliable way to manage this condition.
A new drug called zilebesiran might offer a solution. Researchers, including a team from the University of Edinburgh, have been testing this innovative treatment, which could change the way high blood pressure is managed.
Unlike daily pills, zilebesiran is given as a single shot and has been shown to keep blood pressure under control for up to six months.
In trials conducted in the UK, patients receiving zilebesiran experienced significant reductions in systolic blood pressure—the pressure in arteries when the heart beats.
A dose of 200mg or more led to an average drop of over 10 mmHg, while the highest dose of 800mg reduced blood pressure by more than 20 mmHg. These reductions are enough to bring many people’s blood pressure into a safer range, reducing the risk of serious complications.
The way zilebesiran works is both simple and effective. The drug targets a hormone called angiotensin, which causes blood vessels to narrow, raising blood pressure.
Zilebesiran is designed to go directly to the liver, where it blocks the production of a protein called angiotensinogen, the starting point for making angiotensin.
By stopping the production of this protein, zilebesiran prevents the hormone from being produced, helping blood vessels stay relaxed and lowering blood pressure.
The initial study involved 107 participants with high blood pressure. Of these, 80 received a single injection of zilebesiran, while the rest received a placebo.
The results were promising, but the researchers emphasize that more studies are needed to confirm the drug’s safety and understand its long-term effects.
Professor David Webb from the University of Edinburgh highlighted the significance of this development: “This is potentially a big step forward for treating high blood pressure. We haven’t had a new type of drug for this in 17 years.
This approach could help people stick to their treatment plans. Our next steps will focus on safety and effectiveness before the drug can be approved for public use.”
If further research confirms its safety and efficacy, zilebesiran could become a game-changing option for managing high blood pressure.
By offering a long-lasting, convenient treatment, it could make it much easier for people to stay on track with their care and reduce their risk of serious health complications.
For now, the study represents a significant step forward in hypertension treatment. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, marking an exciting moment in the quest to improve heart health.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and people with severe high blood pressure should reduce coffee intake.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing plant-based foods could benefit people with high blood pressure.
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