High blood pressure is a serious health problem that’s becoming more common worldwide. It raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems.
While many people try to manage it with diet, exercise, and medicine, some still can’t get their blood pressure under control.
A new study published in the journal JAMA introduces a promising new treatment for those who struggle with high blood pressure, even when taking medications. This treatment is a small, simple procedure done under the skin, similar to how a stent is placed to open blood vessels.
The new treatment is called renal denervation, or RDN. It works by calming the nerves that affect the kidneys, which play a role in controlling blood pressure. These nerves can become overactive and make blood pressure worse.
During the RDN procedure, doctors insert a thin tube (called a catheter) through a small opening in the wrist or groin. They guide the catheter to the arteries that supply the kidneys.
Then, using sound waves or radio waves, they treat the area around the artery to reduce nerve activity. The catheter is removed once both kidneys are treated. The procedure is quick, does not need large cuts, and most people recover quickly.
A major study tested this treatment in 224 patients who had high blood pressure that could not be controlled with medicine alone. The study showed that their blood pressure went down and stayed lower for at least two months after the procedure.
Dr. Stephen Jenkins from Ochsner Health, one of the researchers, said that this treatment could be a helpful new option for people who haven’t had success with other methods. By targeting the nerves that raise blood pressure, the procedure gives the body a better chance to manage it.
This is not the first study to show these results. Other trials have also shown that renal denervation helps people with mild, moderate, or very resistant high blood pressure. The latest study, called Radiance II, confirmed that it works well for people whose blood pressure is especially hard to treat.
In fact, three different studies, with over 500 patients combined, were published in JAMA Cardiology. All of them showed that this procedure works across different types of high blood pressure.
Alongside this new treatment, researchers are also looking at lifestyle changes that can help. Studies suggest that drinking tea, eating meals earlier in the day, cutting added sugar, and getting more vitamin D may also help lower blood pressure. These changes are especially useful for people with diabetes.
This new, simple treatment offers real hope for people who are struggling to manage their high blood pressure. It could help prevent serious problems like heart attacks and strokes, and improve people’s lives.
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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