Pacemaker for Patients with High Blood Pressure
Patients with hard-to-control high blood pressure can have new hope. A special pacemaker for people with hypertension is already showing early success.
This device is not a conventional heart pacemaker with leads placed inside the heart. The device is implanted on the left side of the chestsimilar to a heart pacemakerbut the leads stimulate specific points (so-called baroreceptors) in the left and right carotid arteries, which are responsible for blood pressure regulation. This tricks the body into sensing a higher blood pressure than actually exists, which triggers a counter-regulation and lowers the blood pressure.
In these cases the hypertension pacemaker is a promising option, with response rates between 80 and 85 percent.
The pacemaker can be programmed individually for each patient: pulse duration, intensity and frequency can be adjusted independently.
The pacemaker can be programmed individually for each patient: pulse duration, intensity and frequency can be adjusted independently.
So far this new method is offered in only a very few specialized centers. The operating physician needs some experience to locate the described points on the carotid artery and place the leads. The operation itself is not a major procedure because the vessel does not need to be opened. For the patient the pacemaker is a major benefit, since in addition to a significant reduction in blood pressure, existing vascular or kidney damage can partially improve.
Sources
- http://www.ingenieur.de/Fachbereiche/Medizintechnik/Wenn-Medikamente-helfen-Schrittmacher-Bluthochdruck
- https://www.hna.de/lokales/goettingen/schrittmacher-gegen-bluthochdruck-3488585.html
- http://www.aerztezeitung.de/medizin/krankheiten/herzkreislauf/bluthochdruck/article/919811/barorezeptor-aktivierungstherapie-bluthochdruck.html
This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 04/2024).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.
