Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

speakup

For the one in three Americans who struggle not only with high blood pressure but also with remembering to take daily meds to lower it, a solution is on the medical horizon. Instead of taking a pill every morning, a unique shot has scored remarkably well in a small study. With a dose of the vaccine every few months, the battle with mild-to-moderate hypertension may be won.

By the way, we've been gradually winning this battle. Of the more than 800,000 heart-attack deaths that would have occurred every year, fully a third have been prevented by controlling high blood pressure. But we can do better: Less than 35 per cent of people with high blood pressure have it under control - heck, 40 per cent of those who get high blood pressure prescriptions from their docs don't even fill them... even if the pills are free! So that's a key rationale for developing a vaccine: "You won't take the pills? I'll give you a shot."

The vaccine passed the safety test, too. When side effects did occur, they were the temporary, mild, flulike symptoms and/or swelling around the shot spot that are typical of any vaccine.

The vaccine works against angiotensin II, a molecule that constricts blood vessels, raising blood pressure. Scientists at Cytos Biotechnology (a Swiss company) created the vaccine by combining the molecule with a virus-shaped particle - sort of like dressing it up in a scary wolf disguise. When injected, the harmless fake virus "costume" fools the body's immune system, which attacks it and any other angiotensin II floating around in the bloodstream.

The study subjects were injected with varying doses of the vaccine or a placebo three times over three months. Those who received the highest dose had a 5.6 mm Hg drop in the top number (systolic) of their daytime blood pressure and a 2.8 drop in the bottom number (diastolic). That may not sound like a lot, but it's closing in on a key health goal: Lowering the top number by just seven points and the bottom by four can make your RealAge more than two years younger.

Even better: The results were more impressive in the early-morning hours - when the risk of stroke is highest. The top blood pressure number of those on the highest dose was 25 points lower than those who got a dummy vaccine, and the bottom number was 13 points lower. That's major.

And there was a bonus: The vaccine created only a minimal increase in renin - a troublesome enzyme that's linked to kidney failure and that some common blood pressure drugs can send soaring.

Up next: a follow-up study to test a different vaccine regimen that the scientists hope will reduce high blood pressure even more.

Meanwhile, what should you do while you wait? First, fill your prescription! If you have problems with side effects, tell your doc - some pill types increase libido, some decrease it; some make you pee more, some less; et cetera. The point is: There are enough varieties available so your doc can tailor the pills and side effects to make the combo work for you.

Second, if you've got high blood pressure, remember to keep taking your meds - ideally, with their help, you can keep your blood pressure around 115/76. But if "remember" is the trickiest word in that sentence, here are some tips from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to jog your pill-taking memory:

* Take your pills at the same time every day - say, when you brush your teeth or after breakfast.

* Stick reminder notes where you can't help but see them - on the bathroom mirror or the fridge - and change them frequently (colours, sizes) so you'll notice them.

* Use a pillbox marked with days of the week to make forgetting harder.

* Put a reminder message that you never erase on your answering machine or cellphone.

* Program your computer to send you an alert message.

The You Docs - Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz - www.RealAge.com are authors of the best-selling 'YOU: The Owner's Manual' and 'YOU: On a Diet.' Their column runs Saturday.