A group of scientists from Japan
have discovered a vaccine that lowers blood pressure for up to six
months at a time, which they say could spell an end to daily tablets.
According
to the scientists, a simple injection would be sufficient to control
blood pressure for a prolonged period, meaning patients would no longer
have to worry about taking their daily medication.
In the breakthrough research, the team found that
injecting a DNA vaccine into rats reduced blood pressure for six months
at a time, reducing damage to the heart and blood vessels as a result.
The group said the results, published in the journal Hypertension, may eventually lead to a human treatment.
Doctors
have long sought a long-lasting treatment for high blood pressure that
does not rely on daily medication owing to the fact that many patients
forget to take their drugs leading to complications such as heart
attacks and kidney disease.
Corroborating this, study author, Dr. Hironori Nakagami, of Osaka University in Japan said,
“The
potential of a vaccine for hypertension offers an innovative treatment
that could be very effective for the control of non-compliance which is
one of the major problems in the management of hypertensive patients.”
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