Study Finds Ultrasound Therapy Reduces Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged Patients

Discover the latest breakthrough in hypertension treatment: an ultrasound device that calms overactive nerves in the kidneys to reduce blood pressure. Learn more now.

Quick Summary

• A recent study published in JAMA Cardiology found that ultrasound therapy is a promising treatment option for regulating blood pressure among middle-aged people with hypertension.
• Ultrasound renal denervation is a non-invasive outpatient procedure that disrupts signals from overactive nerves in the renal artery, reducing blood pressure by an average of 8.5 points.
• While more research is needed and the therapy has not yet been approved by the FDA, ultrasound therapy could offer new hope for patients with uncontrolled hypertension who have not been able to regulate their blood pressure through lifestyle changes and medication therapy.

Good news for those struggling with high blood pressure!

A new study published in the journal JAMA Cardiology has shown that a device using ultrasound to calm nerves in the kidneys can help regulate high blood pressure.

The device, called ultrasound renal denervation, was tested by researchers at Columbia University in New York and the University of Paris on middle-aged people with hypertension.

Study Results

The study, published in JAMA Cardiology, pooled data from three randomized trials involving over 500 middle-aged patients with varying degrees of hypertension and medication use.

It found that the device consistently reduced daytime ambulatory blood pressure by an average of 8.5 points among middle-aged people with hypertension.

“Twice as many patients who received the ultrasound therapy reached their target daytime blood pressure (less than 135/85 mmHg) compared with patients in the sham groups,” said Ajay Kirtane, MD, professor of medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and co-leader of the study. “The result was almost identical across the different study groups, which definitively shows that the device can lower blood pressure in a broad range of patients.”

How It Works

The device is used in an outpatient procedure called ultrasound renal denervation.

It works by calming overactive nerves in the renal artery, which trigger water and sodium retention and release hormones that can raise blood pressure.

The therapy is delivered to the nerves via a thin catheter that is inserted into a vein in the leg or wrist and threaded to the kidney.

Why It Matters

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects millions of people worldwide and is a major risk factor for heart failure, strokes, heart attacks, and irreversible kidney damage.

While lifestyle changes and medications can help manage hypertension, about one-third of hypertensive patients are unable to control their blood pressure despite these interventions.

“Many patients in our clinical practice are just like the patients in our study, with uncontrolled blood pressure in the 150s despite some efforts,” said Kirtane. “Renal ultrasound could be offered to patients who are unable to get their blood pressure under control after trying lifestyle changes and drug therapy, before these events occur.”

Next Steps

The device is still investigational and has not yet been approved by the FDA for use outside of clinical trials.

The treatment will be evaluated by the FDA in the coming months.

Bottom Line

The investigators expect the treatment could be offered as an adjunct to medication therapy and lifestyle changes for patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

“Once the device is available, we envision recommending it to patients who have tried other therapies first,” said Kirtane. “The hope is that by controlling blood pressure, we might be able to prevent kidney damage and other effects of uncontrolled blood pressure.”