Pacemaker for Hypertensives
Hypertension patients with difficult-to-control high blood pressure can find new hope. A special pacemaker for hypertensives shows initial successes.
This device is not a conventional heart pacemaker, where the leads are placed in the heart. The device is implanted on the left side of the chest, similar to a heart pacemaker, and stimulates specific points (called baroreceptors) in the left and right carotid arteries, which are responsible for blood pressure regulation. This tricks the body into believing that a higher blood pressure exists than is actually present, prompting a counter-regulation that lowers the blood pressure.
In these cases, the high blood pressure pacemaker is a promising model with response rates between 80 and 85 percent.
The pacemaker can be individually programmed for the patient, as the duration, strength, and frequency of the impulses can be changed independently.
The pacemaker can be individually programmed for the patient, as the duration, strength, and frequency of the impulses can be changed independently.
So far, this new method is only offered in very few specialized centers. The operating physician needs some experience to locate the designated points in the carotid artery and place the leads. However, the operation itself is not a major procedure, as the vessel does not need to be opened. For the patient, the pacemaker is a significant benefit, as not only does it lead to a noticeable reduction in blood pressure, but existing vascular or kidney damage can also partially reverse.
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
By Sabine Croci.
This article is medically reviewed. Last updated (04/2024).
Information on the website and within the app cannot replace a consultation with a doctor, but can certainly complement it.
