Will Shots Replace Blood-Pressure Pills?

Drugs can be used to control high blood pressure, but researchers say one of four patients doesn't take pill regularly enough to work. But a new vaccine tested in a small trial could make things easier.

"Many patients are apparently unable or unwilling to take pills every day for the rest of their lives," said Dr. Juerg Nussberger of University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland. "If we could add or substitute a vaccine that would need to be given just every few months, I think we could achieve better control of high blood pressure."

He presented the information from a small study to the American Heart Association.

Seventy-two patients with mild to moderate high blood pressure were given either a proposed vaccine or a placebo shot.

After 14 weeks, those who got the vaccine lowered both their systolic and diastolic blood pressures -- that is, both the top and bottom numbers of the measurement.

"Quite unexpectedly, our vaccine had the most striking effect early in the morning, the most dangerous time to have high blood pressure because it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke," co-author Dr. Martin Bachmann said.

Most people take their blood pressure medications first thing in the morning, so medication levels are at their lowest during this early morning pressure rise.

The next step in developing the vaccine is another small trial to determine whether a different injection regimen will create a larger response.

Nearly one in three American adults has high blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, heart failure and kidney failure.

American Heart Association President Dr. Daniel Jones said the research is encouraging.

"These investigators are pursuing novel approaches to hypertension control," Jones said. "While too early to evaluate whether this may be clinically useful, it is encouraging to see promising research results."