Targeting nerves near the kidney with ultrasound energy can reduce patients’ blood pressure, cutting their risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a trial. Many patients with high blood pressure struggle to stick to a regime of multiple tablets. Researchers said the new technology, being considered for NHS approval, could offer a different option and improve their quality of life. SponsoredParticipants in the study, published in The Lancet, were given a one-hour procedure called renal denervation, in which ultrasound energy is used to disrupt the nerves between the kidneys and brain that carry signals for controlling blood pressure. Other patients were given a sham procedure, and none of the 136 participants, all of whom had experienced continued high blood pressure despite trying three

Source: The Times June 07, 2021 16:02 UTC