Reduce inflammation: hope for new hypertension therapy

Researchers hope a new treatment for high blood pressure

Untreated high blood pressure is disease risk factor number One for heart-circulation-and thus for many heart attacks and strokes. To be able to hypertension targeted treatment, scientists have searched for the causes of the disease and found that chronic inflammation could play an important role.

Hypertension often leads to cardiovascular disease

In Germany alone, experts suffer according to the health about 20 to 30 million people have high blood pressure (hypertension). Worldwide more than a billion people are affected. Untreated high blood pressure is one of the biggest health risks in the Western world. He is a disease risk factor number One for heart-circulation-and thus for many cases of death due to heart attack or stroke, be responsible. Nevertheless, the causes, as yet little known. Researchers have gained this new knowledge and hope for new treatment approaches.

Little is known about the causes known

Although high blood pressure is sometimes the result of other diseases such as renal or metabolic diseases, but according to the experts, the so-called primary hypertension accounts for approximately 90 percent of all hypertension cases.

It is known that certain factors, such as Obesity, lack of exercise, high salt and alcohol consumption, and Smoking, the emergence of this Form of hypertension favor, but the rendering of the primary hypertension is exactly, is not yet known.

Researchers are now in search of the exact causes of high blood pressure a step further and have found that chronic inflammation could play a role.

The possible connection between hypertension and chronic inflammation

Scientists at the La Trobe University in Melbourne and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia have found, in collaboration with the University of Bonn, in a new study a possible connection between hypertension and chronic inflammation.

In the journal “Cardiovascular Research” published results could pave the way for entirely new treatment methods, according to the Australian-new Zealand Association of higher education institutions / Institut Ranke-Heinemann in a message.

The data suggest that anti-inflammatory drugs, the disease can be prescribed to patients with auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid Arthritis should be used for this purpose.

Conventional therapies do not help all patients

In many cases high blood pressure without drugs lower.

For example, by Affected move more excess weight to reduce, unhealthy, too much salt in our diet, tobacco, as well as increased consumption of alcohol and avoid Stress.

A healthier life is not enough style, Doctors prescribe the patient’s blood pressure lowering medicines. However, in the case of hard-to-controllable hypertension these are not sufficient often.

“Up to 20 percent of patients are not able to blood vessels the high blood pressure with the current therapies, so diuretics, agents for the enlargement of the blood or medications to reduce the heart rate, under control,” said Prof. Grant Drummond from La Trobe University in a communication.

“These patients then suffer more often from debilitating or fatal heart attacks and strokes,” said the expert, who pointed out that it is important to first identify the root cause of high blood pressure before effective therapies can be developed.

Enzyme is activated in the vessels of the kidneys and the blood

According to the figures, the researchers are investigating the possibility that high blood pressure of chronic inflammation is triggered.

Dr. Anthony Vinh from La Trobe University said, the Team will check the assumption that factors such as salt – or fat-rich diet, an enzyme in the kidneys and the blood activates blood vessels – the so-called Inflammasome.

“As soon as it is activated, it produces this enzyme to chemical signals that attract immune cells and an inflammatory response trigger, which disrupts the blood vessels pressure-regulating functions of the kidneys and blood,” said Dr. Vinh.

“This process protects us, usually against bacteria and viruses, but sometimes the confused immune cells and react to usually harmless substances,” said the expert.

“In the case of hypertension, the “harmless” substances, which are apparently in the centre of the problem, glass-like pieces of crystalline salt, cholesterol, and uric acid, the blood vessels in the blood and kidneys, accumulate.”

Way for new treatment approaches

According to Prof. Drummond, it is possible, damage to blood vessels and kidneys to prevent and reduce hypertension by increasing the activity of the Inflammasome is suppressed and the inflammation is reduced.

“Anti-inflammatory medicines are already used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid Arthritis or gout used”, explained the expert.

“We have shown that similar drugs can be effectively used to reduce high blood pressure in mice with hypertension,” said Prof. Drummond.

“These findings could pave the way for new treatment approaches, in which drugs currently, patients with auto-reserved-immune diseases, used in the treatment of hypertension,” said the author of the study.

“This could help to save millions of lives.” (ad)