Medical breakthrough could mean big changes for people with high blood pressure
Patients would only need to take one injection every six months
Last updated 29th May 2022
Patients suffering with high blood pressure could be offered a new treatment to care for their condition, new research is suggesting.
A study from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), in collaboration with the Barts Health NHS Trust, is using 630 patients from across the world to test different treatments for high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.
NHS figures revealed that around one third of the adult population in the UK could be suffering from hypertension but do not know it.
Despite having no immediately visible symptoms, if left untreated, hypertension can increase the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.
Currently those who are diagnosed with the condition are prescribed tablets that must be taken daily to regulate their blood pressure.
But the study from QMUL could prove the efficacy of an injection given every six months, which could reduce the need for the daily medication.
Speaking ahead of the trialling period, Dr Manish Saxena, study lead and deputy clinical director at QMUL said that if successful, those diagnosed with hypertension will be treated more effectively.
"We are excited to be trialling this first-of-its-kind approach to research if it is safe and effective for the treatment of high blood pressure," she said.
"Solving health challenges on this scale cannot be achieved by one person or entity alone. We are thrilled to be working alongside Alnylam and combining our expertise to hopefully change modern medicine."
Dr Saxena added: "It is early days but our ultimate hope is that the treatment proves to be a safe and more manageable, practical solution to tackling high blood pressure.
"A twice-yearly treatment with injection underneath the skin would provide a better alternative to taking daily medication, which we believe would be welcome news for patients and make treating hypertension more convenient."