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Could Lowering High Blood Pressure Be as Simple as Stimulating Your Ear?
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What Happened?
A device delivering electrical pulses through the ear shows promise for treating high blood pressure. While overall results were inconclusive, patients with severe hypertension showed encouraging reductions.
Key points
- The SCRATCH-HTN trial involved 63 patients with uncontrolled hypertension.
- Participants used a device for 30 minutes daily for two weeks, then weekly for 10 weeks.
- No significant overall blood pressure reduction was found compared to a placebo.
- A subgroup analysis showed better results in patients with severe hypertension.
- The device is designed for home use and is easy to administer.
Key insights
- The device's non-invasive nature may increase patient adherence to treatment.
- Further research could clarify which patients benefit most from this approach.
- If effective, this method could provide a low-cost solution for managing hypertension.
Why it matters
This research could lead to new treatment options for patients with hard-to-control hypertension.
Tags
Entities
Queen Mary University of London· OrganizationAfferent Medical Solutions· CompanyHypertension· Event
Source
Science Daily
