First Implant To Control Blood Pressure Tested - Device Could Help 48 Million Who Can't Control High Blood Pressure

Main Category: Hypertension
Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology;  Medical Devices
Article Date: 15 Feb 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Is your heart healthy? It's a good time to check because February is American Heart Month. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans has high blood pressure and many don't even know it.* Left uncontrolled, the condition can have deadly consequences. Now, a new device is being tested to help people control their blood pressure using their body's natural abilities.

High blood pressure is the number one reason patients visit Dr. Randy Wexler, a family physician with Ohio State University Medical Center.

"Too many patients are not controlled with diet and exercise and medication. Failure to control blood pressure will lead to strokes and heart attacks and kidney failure," says Dr. Wexler.

He and vascular surgeon, Dr. Jean Starr, hope to help patients who can't be helped with medication.

"We want to control high blood pressure as best as possible, and so many of our patients do come in with it poorly controlled and on many medications. So this is very exciting to have a totally unique way of trying to treat high blood pressure," says Dr. Starr.

A device, already approved for use in Europe, has significantly decreased patients' blood pressure in smaller studies. It triggers the body to do what doesn't come naturally - lower blood pressure. Here's how: A small pulse generator box is implanted under the collarbone. It electrically triggers the body's own blood pressure monitoring system, the baroreceptors. The brain gets the message that blood pressure needs to go down, and signals go out to help make that happen.

"By sending impulses to the brain, it tells the brain you have high blood pressure and that person's body starts responding to reduce blood pressure based on whatever mechanism works best for that person," says Dr. Wexler.

Ohio State University Medical Center is one of 24 places in the country cleared to participate in this FDA-approved study on the new heart device called the CVRx Rheos systsm.

* American Heart Association , "High Blood Pressure"

Ohio State University Medical Center