High Blood Pressure Treatment (cont.)
Is alternative medicine used to treat
high blood pressure?
Alternative medicine, also called integrative or complementary medicine,
features the use of non-traditional (at least in the western world) techniques
for treatment. For example, self-relaxation approaches to the therapy of
hypertension include yoga, biofeedback, and meditation. These techniques can be effective in lowering the blood pressure, at least temporarily. In order to produce sustained reductions in the blood pressure these techniques may require hours of diligent adherence daily. They are generally practical only for few, highly motivated individuals with hypertension. Acupuncture has not yet been established as a standard or proven
therapy for hypertension in the western world.
Certain herbal remedies have blood pressure-lowering components that may well be
effective in treating hypertension. Most herbal remedies are available as food
supplements, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve them as
drugs.
Therefore, herbal treatments for hypertension have not yet been
adequately evaluated in scientifically controlled clinical trials for
effectiveness and safety. In particular, their long-term side effects are
unknown. A major problem with most herbal treatments is that their contents are not standardized. The ways in which herbal treatments work to lower blood pressure are not known and currently herbal remedies are usually not recommended for the treatment of hypertension.
What's new in high blood pressure?
A new class of anti-hypertensive drug, called a vasopeptidase blocker
(inhibitor), has been developed. Uniquely, it works on two different systems at
the same time. It blocks that part of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone hormonal
system that narrows (constricts) the peripheral arteries. It also blocks that
part of the body's salt regulating system that conserves salt. Accordingly, this
class of drug decreases the blood pressure by simultaneously dilating the
peripheral arteries and increasing the body's loss of salt (natriuresis).
One such drug that is currently being studied is called
omapatrilat. In laboratory animals with high blood pressure, this drug reduces the blood
pressure and appears to protect the end-organs (heart, kidney, and brain) from
damage by the high blood pressure. Moreover, the drug dilates the peripheral
arteries, which increases blood flow to all tissues, and improves cardiac
function in hypertensive patients with heart failure. Not yet approved by the
FDA, omapatrilat is undergoing further testing to evaluate its effectiveness and
safety.
Last Editorial Review: 7/6/2007
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