New Surgery Drops Blood Pressure 30%

A new surgical technique can lower blood pressure by up to 30% by destroying tiny nerves in the arteries leading to the kidneys. These nerves regulate blood supply, but can be overactive in some patients, dangerously boosting blood pressure. This new procedure inserts a small probe through a catheter in the renal arteries and produces heat sufficient to kill off the nerves.

The surgery can be completed in about 40 to 60 minutes and only requires an overnight stay in the hospital. Only 10% of patients were unresponsive to treatment, according to research being published in The Lancet, compared to almost 50% who are unresponsive to traditional blood pressure medications. Furthermore, meds often only reduce blood pressure by 10%, making the new method almost three times better. Read the full article. (More high blood pressure stories.)