Kashish Sharma
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Written By: Kashish Sharma | Updated : May 11, 2023 11:29 AM IST
As per experts, the process is less than an hour long with local anesthesia.
Hypertension can be both serious and common. The middle- ages of human life are often associated with overactive renal nerves that can cause alterations in blood pressure. It is often termed the "silent killer" and is one of the major causes of death globally. A study has found a new and unique way of controlling blood pressure and the trials have shown promising results.
The explored method "mutes" the overactive kidney nerves in people who have difficulty controlling hypertension. The procedure lowered the blood pressure of participants significantly, by an average of 8.5 millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
The technique used to calm this renal hyperactivity is therapeutic ultrasound which is different from diagnostic ultrasound. While some people are able to control hypertension through dietary, and lifestyle changes and medical intervention, some might find it hard to control it. The study has found this new technique to be particularly useful in the latter case.
Kidney function and blood pressure are highly connected, more than we expect. While many treatments target hypertension, none specifically target renal hyperactivity which might be a major cause. The study published in the journal JAMA Cardiology made use of the renal denervation device that further involves a thin catheter inserted into a leg or wrist vein and threaded into the kidney. During the procedure, nerves in the kidneys are treated with ultra-high-frequency sound waves that produce tiny amounts of scar tissue to inhibit nerve activity. This process has been identified as "ablation."
As per experts, the process is less than an hour long and is done using local anesthesia. In the study conducted, one group of participants received the ultrasound denervation, while the control group, received a pretentious procedure having no therapeutic value.
The study found that the procedure was able to lower blood pressure among the 506 participants. An average reduction of 8.5 mmHg was observed. Many subjects were able to achieve their blood pressure goals of 135/85. This result was consistent across the three studies among a racially diverse population, suggesting the procedure's value is likely to be widespread.
The benefits of the therapy were found to last up till 2 months after the procedure in clinical follow-ups and even after three years in some subjects. The researchers have, however, have prescribed the use of technique in patients who are having difficulty in controlling hypertension in spite of inculcating dietary changes and medicinal intervention.
