Treatment-resistant high blood pressure Although tablets can no longer help with high blood pressure

What to do if tablets do not lower blood pressure

More and more people are suffering from hypertension. If the silent danger is not treated in time, severe sequelae such as heart attacks or strokes will occur. Often the hypertension, as doctors call the high blood pressure, deadly. Patients do not need to take simple measures such as weight loss and active exercise to lower blood pressure. But it is precisely these that can help many people, but it can also happen that the drugs do not help. Doctors are now reporting a new technique that can help sufferers.

Every third German suffers from hypertension

According to the German Hypertension League (DHL), about 20 to 30 million people in Germany suffer from high blood pressure (hypertension). Although almost every third German citizen is affected, many think that hypertension is an "old age disease". But this assumption is wrong. Although older people are the most affected, younger people are increasingly affected as well. Especially young men often know nothing about their high blood pressure levels and can also be treated less often. Untreated high blood pressure is one of the biggest health risks in the Western world. He is the number one risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is responsible for many deaths from myocardial infarction or stroke.

Lower blood pressure naturally

Although sufferers often quickly become hypertensive, but in many cases hypertension can be treated without medication. In addition to regular exercise here is especially a healthy, varied diet with low fat, sugar and salt to call. Also of interest are research findings that were recently presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA) and published in various specialist magazines, such as "EurekAlert!". Thus, natural yogurt relieves high blood pressure in women. Smoking, over-consumption of alcohol, overweight or obesity should also be avoided.

Relaxation exercises for stress relief, such as yoga or autogenic training can also be very effective and positively influence high blood pressure. Some home remedies for hypertension, such as Kneipp's applications, can provide good support.

In some patients, medications do not work

But in some patients, neither natural measures nor remedies help. "About half of all hypertensive patients can not lower their blood pressure despite drug therapy," writes the University Hospital Freiburg. The permanently stressed body reacts to this with further illnesses. That should change according to the university in the future. As communicated, a product in development is ready for the market.

Cuff electrode for nerve stimulation

According to the information, the small electrode that is to be implanted in a patient in the future appears the same size as a 1 cent piece and can be wrapped around a pin. This possibility of nerve stimulation was researched at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität and the University Hospital Freiburg. In addition, two medical technology companies were involved in the project. According to the report, the Freiburg researchers Dennis Plachta and Thomas Stieglitz from the Chair of Biomedical Microtechnology at the IMTEK (Institute for Microsystems Technology) had already developed a novel cuff electrode for nerve stimulation in 2014 in cooperation with neurosurgeons from the University Medical Center Freiburg.

"The stimulation of the vagus nerve using the latest microsystems technology is still in its infancy in view of the many potential applications, but has enormous potential for the treatment of chronic diseases as an alternative to pharmaceuticals," says the report. Consequently, this collaborative project is about the manipulation of the Baroloop, a circulatory system that regulates blood pressure in the body, among other things. Signals measured by receptors are communicated through the vagus nerves to the brain so that stimulation of the nerve can affect blood pressure.

Pacemaker for high blood pressure

Also, the University Hospital Regensburg (UKR) had reported last year on a new method for hypertensive patients in which drugs do not strike. In the procedure - called baroreceptor stimulation - the patient is a stimulator, similar to a pacemaker, used in the left chest. This stimulates the baroreceptors - special cells on the carotid artery that regulate blood pressure and circulation. The receptors then pass the signal on to the brain and deceive there a permanently high blood pressure. The brain responds by triggering the body's own blood pressure reduction mechanisms. (sb, ad)