New hope for high blood pressure sufferers

Unpublished
Category: Science
Bristol, England - Scientists have developed a new approach to reduce nervous system activity which can cause blood pressure to rise uncontrollably. The scientists, from the University of Bristol, England, said the treatment may offer ’superiority’ over existing medications, by lowering blood pressure directly. They said it could also treat heart failure and sleep apnoea. As many as seven million people in the UK are living with undiagnosed high blood pressure, and many don’t know they are at risk. Professor Paton, who co-led the research with Dr Anthony Ford, founder and chief scientific officer of Afferent Pharmaceuticals, said: “The carotid bodies lie at the fork of the common carotid artery on each side of the neck and are the body’s smallest organs, each about the size of a rice grain. These organs sense chemicals such as oxygen in the blood. When oxygen levels fall, the carotid bodies become active and send signals to the brain that trigger increases in breathing and blood pressure.” However, the researchers found the signals in receptors in the carotid body- called P2X3 receptors - could be blocked with a drug called MK-7624. They tested whether the drug could stop the activity in the nervous system occurring - lowering blood pressure. Dr Angus Nightingale, a cardiology consultant who runs the specialist hypertensive clinic at the Bristol Heart Institute and is a co-author of the study, said: “With this research, we’ve validated P2X3 receptors as a novel drug target for the treatment of cardiovascular disease by demonstrating that blockade of these receptors with a selective antagonist controls carotid body activity. “The question now is whether blocking these P2X3 receptors in humans will lower elevated blood pressure, and how we can best identify those patients with carotid body hyperactivity who are most likely to respond to treatment.” (FA)

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