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New research by scientists from the Australian University of Melbourne indicates that there is a chance for a new drug for hypertension. Doctors discovered this fact by accident while conducting research on something completely different.
- Hypertension is a “silent killer”, often does not cause symptoms and many people are not aware of it, and the effects can be dangerous
- The pharmacotherapy used so far is not perfect, after a longer period of time the effect of drugs blocking calcium receptors may weaken
- Australian researchers accidentally discovered that zinc works to lower blood pressure. This is an opportunity to develop a new drug
- You can read more similar information on TvoiLokony
This new discovery is zinc – in the course of research on the effect of drugs containing this chemical element on Alzheimer’s disease, it turned out that they lower blood pressure in laboratory animals. The research team announced their discovery in a publication that appeared in the scientific journal Nature.
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Hypertension: a needed alternative to current medications
Most antihypertensive drugs used today work by blocking calcium receptors (called calcium blockers) so that muscles do not contract and blood pressure remains normal. In the 90s, it was discovered that nitric oxide also lowers blood pressure, which also relaxes smooth muscles. This discovery led, among others, to to develop Viagra. Since then, however, there have been no revolutionary discoveries in the treatment of hypertension – we read on Focus.pl.
Unfortunately, long-term administration of drugs that block calcium receptors may reduce their effect and become resistant to such therapy over time. Therefore, the possibility of using the new discovery and developing a zinc-based drug is a hope for an effective alternative to the currently used pharmacotherapy.
- Hypertension is a silent killer. These symptoms should be alarming
They examined the brain, discovered the mechanism of hypertension
Researchers from the University of Melbourne did not come to new conclusions immediately. During their research on the effects of zinc-containing drugs on the brain’s activity in Alzheimer’s disease, they found that their administration lowers blood pressure in laboratory animals.
“Our discovery was accidental because we studied the brain, not the mechanisms of hypertension,” said lead author Dr Ashenafi Betrie.
Australians have begun a cycle of research to explain this mechanism. The research lasted several years, and researchers from Melbourne conducted them together with scientists from the American University of Vermont and the Chinese TEDA cardiology hospital. They proved that zinc ions act completely differently than calcium ions. They affect both the nerve cells of the sympathetic nervous system, the epithelium lining the arteries, and the smooth muscles themselves, causing them to relax and lower blood pressure.
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Supplements are not enough
However, the introduction of a new method of treating high blood pressure will not be so simple. This is because blood pressure cannot be lowered simply by increasing zinc intake, e.g. in the form of dietary supplements. It will be necessary to develop new drugs in such a way that the zinc is properly taken up by the body and reaches the cells of the circulatory system.
«Innovative zinc-based antihypertensive drugs would be a wonderful consequence of this accidental discovery. And they would remind us that scientific research is not always about searching for something specific, but also simply about searching, ‘write the researchers in the publication in Nature.
Do you want to supplement zinc deficiencies? Reach for zinc in the form of lozenges at an attractive price. You can find it on Medonet Market. You can also try SOLHERBS Zinc – a dietary supplement in pullulan capsules that can also be taken by vegans and vegetarians.
Almost every third adult Pole suffers from hypertension in Poland, and many of them are not even aware of it and do not undertake treatment. There are many different causes of high blood pressure, and your risk of developing high blood pressure increases with age. Untreated hypertension leads, among others, to for strokes and heart attacks. Detection of high blood pressure can also detect other diseases if it is secondary, for example to health problems such as kidney disease or hormonal disorders. Hypertension is the “silent killer” – you may not feel the symptoms of this disease. The only way to detect it is by taking regular blood pressure measurements.
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