A “GAME-CHANGING” new blood pressure drug could help millions of Brits reduce their stroke and heart attack risk.
Daily pill baxdrostat reduces high blood pressure in patients who have failed to control their condition with standard medication.
The breakthrough could help the half of UK patients who struggle to treat the illness – an estimated 10million people.
Leading heart doctor and trial chief Dr Bryan Williams, of University College London, said: “I’ve never seen blood pressure reductions of this magnitude with a drug.
“This is a triumph of scientific discovery.
“It is a potential game-changer for patients because it targets the key mechanism helping to reduce their future risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and potentially dementia.”
Read more on heart health
The pill works by reducing levels of a hormone called aldosterone, which increases blood pressure by causing water and salt retention.
Dr Williams said previous attempts to control aldosterone levels have had nasty side effects.
In a 12-week trial on nearly 800 patients, baxdrostat caused significant reductions in blood pressure in patients who had not responded to other medicines.
It doubled the chances of lowering pressure back into the healthy range, with four in 10 achieving this compared to two in 10 taking a placebo pill.
Speaking at the conference of the European Society of Cardiology, Prof Williams said: “This level of reduction is linked to substantially lower risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.
“The results suggest that this drug could potentially help up to half a billion people globally and as many as 10million people in the UK alone.”
How to lower blood pressure
Persistent high blood pressure (hypertension) puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs and it can raise your risk of serious conditions like heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. Here’s how to reduce it.
Reduce salt
Adults are recommended to limit their salt to 6g per day (around one level teaspoon) to avoid health consequences including high blood pressure.
The top tip is to swap out table salt, according to the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study, replacing it with a reduced sodium and added potassium alternative.
Cut down on alcohol
Excessive boozing can narrow the blood vessels, which raises the risk of hypertension.
Official drinking guidelines advise that people should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week to keep health risks from alcohol low.
Get moving
Exercise is good for the heart and the blood vessels.
Although the guidelines recommend 150 minutes of activity per week, if you’re currently very inactive, just a walk to the shop every day is better than nothing, and you can work up from there.
Studies suggest that isometric exercises – when you hold the body in one position without moving, such as a wall squat or plank – are best for lowering blood pressure.
Stop smoking
Smoking cigarettes is a killer. It makes the arteries sticky and narrow, which can cause blockages.
While smoking is not a direct cause of high blood pressure, it can cause an instant rise to pressure, heart rate and reduce the amount of oxygen that gets to the body’s cells.
Skip coffee
Sadly, caffeine can cause a short, but dramatic increase in your blood pressure – even if you don’t have high blood pressure.
Therefore cutting back on coffee is recommended as a lifestyle tip for those with hypertension.
Lose weight
The above tips can help you to lose weight, which is beneficial because being overweight in itself is a risk factor for hypertension.
Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body, which can raise your blood pressure.
The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test. All adults over 40 years old are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.
