Scientists at the University of Minnesota have found something surprising about common blood pressure medicines.
These drugs, which are usually used to help the heart and blood vessels, may also help the brain in a very special way. They seem to improve the brain’s natural system for handling pain, which could help people who suffer from long-term pain or other brain-related conditions.
This new discovery was made by a team led by Patrick Rothwell. The researchers studied a group of drugs called ACE inhibitors. These are medications that many people take to lower high blood pressure. While doctors already know that ACE inhibitors are good for heart health, the scientists wanted to know what these drugs might do in the brain.
They found that ACE inhibitors can increase the effects of opioids that our own brains naturally produce. These brain-made opioids are important because they help control pain and feelings of reward.
By making these natural opioids work better, ACE inhibitors could possibly help reduce pain or improve mood—without the risks linked to strong opioid drugs like fentanyl.
This is important because many people who live with chronic pain are prescribed powerful opioid medications. While these drugs can help with pain, they are also very addictive and can lead to serious problems. The new study suggests that ACE inhibitors might be able to help people manage pain in a much safer way by working with the body’s own systems.
The researchers believe this finding could lead to new kinds of medications. They are already working on creating new versions of ACE inhibitors that work better in the brain. These new drugs might be used to treat not only high blood pressure but also conditions like long-term pain or brain disorders linked to opioid imbalance.
This research shows how drugs that were made for one purpose—helping the heart—might also be used to help the brain. It’s a great example of how science can find new uses for existing medicines. More studies will be needed to fully understand how ACE inhibitors affect the brain and to make sure they are safe and helpful for brain-related conditions.
The study was published in the journal Science and gives hope that one day we might have better ways to treat pain and brain conditions—without the danger of addiction.
If you care about arthritis, please read studies about extra virgin olive oil for arthritis, and pomegranate: A natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
For more information about arthritis, please see recent studies about how to live pain-free with arthritis, and results showing medical cannabis may help reduce arthritis pain, back pain.
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