Baroreceptor Activation System Reduces Hypertension

An experimental implantable blood pressure lowering device may be a cost effective treatment for individuals with drug resistant hypertension.

The Rheos hypertension therapy system is based on proprietary Baroreflex Activation Therapy (BAT), which triggers the body's own natural blood flow-regulation system to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. The system includes three components; the Rheos device itself, two carotid sinus leads, and a programmer system. The Rheos device provides control and delivery of activation energy through the carotid sinus leads, which conduct the energy from the Rheos device to the left and right carotid arteries. The programmer system provides the ability to noninvasively regulate the BAT energy therapy from the device to the leads, so that the therapy can be adjusted to meet each patient's individual needs as they change over time.

The system consists of a battery-powered implantable generator, which is inserted under the skin near the collarbone, and two carotid sinus leads, which run from the generator to the left and right carotid sinus in the neck. The device activates the carotid baroreceptors, a key regulator of the body's cardiovascular system, which then prompt signals that are interpreted by the brain as a rise in blood pressure. The brain then works to counteract this perceived rise by sending signals to other parts of the body that relax the blood vessels and inhibit the production of stress-related hormones. These changes enable the heart to increase blood output, while maintaining or reducing its workload, thereby reducing blood pressure when it is elevated and alleviating the symptoms of heart failure (HF). The Rheos hypertension therapy system is being developed by CVRx (Minneapolis, MN, USA), and is currently undergoing Phase III clinical trials.

Resistant hypertension is defined as blood pressure that remains elevated above treatment goals. Because some cases of high blood pressure are difficult to treat, this may require a combination of multiple drugs before control is established; high blood pressure cannot be called "resistant” until this three-drug combination therapy has failed. Individuals with uncontrolled or resistant hypertension are at a far greater risk for a number of adverse cardiovascular events such as stroke, myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure, kidney disease, and death. For example, with every 20 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure the risk of stroke doubles.

Related Links:
CVRx