This SC hospital can now lower folks’ high blood pressure without using medication. Here’s how
If you’re tired of taking blood pressure medication or don’t want to start, Prisma Health Heart Hospital may now have a new, better alternative.
The Columbia hospital is the first in the Midlands to offer an innovative one-time treatment option that can lower blood pressure, according to a Prisma Health press release. The new ultrasound therapy treatment for patients with uncontrollable high blood pressure could help them reduce or stop taking blood pressure medication.
“This single minimally invasive treatment targets overactive nerves that contribute to high blood pressure and could help reduce risk of long-term complications such as heart attack and stroke,” the press release states.
How the new treatment works
Recor Medical Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation System treats blood pressure, also called hypertension, by directing ultrasound energy at the nerves around the renal arteries, disrupting the overactive sympathetic nerves that can cause high blood pressure. Clinical research has shown that the interruption of the signals along these nerves can significantly reduce blood pressure, the press release states. The procedure is minimally invasive and may be performed in an outpatient setting, letting most patients return home the same day.
“We’re thrilled to offer this new treatment option for patients who are unable to control their blood pressure by traditional means such as medication or lifestyle changes,” Prisma Health interventional cardiologist Dr. Vince Vismara said in the press release. “Medications don’t work for all patients. And, for some patients, medications aren’t well tolerated due to side effects, prompting them to miss doses or not take medications at all. This procedure, while not appropriate for all patients, gives us another option to help treat high blood pressure and reduce risk of long-term complications.”
Vismara and interventional cardiologist Dr. Summer Aldrugh recently performed the first procedures at Prisma Health’s Heart Hospital, according to the press release.
Why high blood pressure is a problem
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for strokes and heart disease. It’s a condition where the pressure of the blood is too high in arteries. About one in three South Carolinians have been told by a doctor that they have high blood pressure, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of adults in the United States will develop high blood pressure, which can lead to a host of problems, such as heart disease, stroke and blindness.
