TEACHABLE MEDICAL NEWS

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Tag: hypertension

Can we really lower blood pressure by a surgical procedure?

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On April 27, 2026

In cardiovascular system, endocrine system, nervous system

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cardiovascular system/ hemodynamics chapter – smooth muscle layer in arteries and veins
  2. cardiovascular system/ hemodynamics chapter – physiological regulation of blood pressure
  3. autonomic nervous system chapter – sympathetic innervation of the kidneys

The news item:  Recently this report appeared online

New Procedure Treats High Blood Pressure

The first renal denervation (RDN) procedure at Springhill Medical Center was completed last week by Dr. John Galla of Cardiology Associates. The blood pressure procedure is now offered for certain patients and was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023.

The article states that the Simplicity renal denervation procedure targets nerves near kidneys. During the procedure a catheter is introduced into an artery near the kidney, and energy is delivered to calm the excessive activity of nerves. The article also states that this procedure is approved for people with hypertension where lifestyle changes or medication did not sufficiently control blood pressure.

So, Why Do I Care??  High blood pressure (hypertension) is a disorder that affects about half the US adult population, almost 120 million people. There are over 600,000 deaths in the USA from causes that can be linked to hypertension. This is a huge health problem, and while medications can do a good job controlling hypertension, only 27% of patients take their medication, so new procedures do not depend on taking a daily pill can provide a practically useful alternative.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about why high blood pressure develops. Normal blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg is carefully maintained in our bodies by hormones, and the nervous system. Hormones such as renin, angiotensin II, aldosterone, epinephrine, norepinephrine are used in our bodies to increase blood pressure. All those hormones act on the smooth muscle layer of small arteries and make them contract resulting in narrowing (vasoconstriction) of small arteries. The sympathetic nerves of the kidneys normally play a small role in lowering blood pressure. Overactive renal nerves, however, increase blood pressure by increasing renin and aldosterone production.

Second, let’s talk about why high blood pressure is damaging to our bodies. Chronic (long-duration) high blood pressure physically stretches and damages thinnest and weakest small arterioles. Those kinds of arterioles are found in the renal corpuscle, the retina, and in the healing wounds. Therefore, when patients don’t control their high blood pressure kidney failure develops, vision loss develops, and ulcers develop from non-healing wounds.

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Why the test to predict preeclampsia is hailed as a great news?

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On November 22, 2023

In cardiovascular system, reproductive system, urinary system

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. blood vessel chapter – layers of the wall of arteries
  2. blood vessel chapter — blood pressure regulation through vasoconstriction and vasodilation
  3. urinary system chapter – filtering membrane of the glomerulus in the renal corpuscle
  4. development chapter – blood vessels in the placenta

The news item:  Recently the following news item appeared online:

FDA approves groundbreaking blood test for early preeclampsia detection in pregnant women

The FDA has approved a new blood test that can detect whether a mother will potentially get preeclampsia within 30 minutes.

The report describes preeclampsia as high blood pressure in pregnant women, and that in the state of Georgia hypertensive disorders are the leading cause of maternal death. The article describes the name of the test: BRAHMS sFlt1/PlGF KRYPTOR.

So, Why Do I Care??  The death of pregnant mothers is a tragic event that could cause the death of their unborn child as well.  When pregnancy-related high blood pressure appears, the medical response depends on how high the blood pressure is. Once a test predicts that preeclampsia will appear in a pregnant woman, the obstetrician can make preparations for monitoring and further possible actions. When the medical professionals are ready to make treatment choices, it is more  likely that the intervention will be successful, and both mother and baby will survive.

Plain English, Please!!!  First, let’s talk about why high blood pressure appears in pregnant women who had normal blood pressure before the pregnancy. By the end of the first month of pregnancy the fetus builds a placenta, an organ that incorporates a layer of the mother’s uterus as well. The purpose of the placenta to provide a place for exchange of oxygen and nutrients from the blood of the mother to the blood of the fetus, and for the exchange of carbon dioxide and other waste products from the blood of the fetus to the blood of the mother. This can be achieved only if a large number of fetal blood vessels and maternal blood vessels are part of the placenta. In the fetuses where the number of blood vessels is low in the placenta, the fetus will be deficient in oxygen, and the blood vessels release stress factors such as placenta growth factor (PlGF), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt1). Those stress factors reprogram the blood vessels of the mother to contract, and the contracting blood vessels increase blood pressure. Imagine a balloon filled with water. If you squeeze the balloon the force will increase water pressure to the point that balloon may burst. Smooth muscle cells in the wall of arteries do the squeezing (vasoconstriction) that increases blood pressure.

Second, let’s talk about why is preeclampsia harmful. High blood pressure in the mother can cause strokes by dislodging clots from large blood vessels and moving them to the brain where the clots block

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