Health & Lifestyle

Millions of high blood pressure patients could be offered simple twice-a-year jab instead of daily pills to protect against heart attacks and strokes

  • Patients saw a 10 to 12 point fall – a 20 per cent reduction in the risk of stroke
  • It was announced at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 

Millions of high blood pressure patients in Britain could soon be offered a simple twice-a-year jab instead of daily pills to protect against heart attacks and strokes.

Just one dose of the drug Zilebesiran can send pressure plummeting within two weeks, and the benefits last for up to six months, according to the results of a new trial.

On average, patients saw a 10 to 12 point fall, which experts say equates to a 20 per cent reduction in the risk of strokes, heart attacks and other cardiac events. They also say the injections are so simple they could be self-administered at home, like commonly taken diabetes drugs.

The news was announced at the American Heart Association’s annual Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia and, although only a few hundred patients took part in the early-stage trial, the results were so positive that they were hailed by cardiologists as a potential paradigm shift.

Chicago-based heart expert Professor George Bakris, who was involved in the trials, said the idea of ditching ‘the burden’ of daily tablets for two injections a year was so popular his patients were ‘standing in line’ to get the drug.

Millions of high blood pressure patients in Britain could soon be offered a simple twice-a-year jab instead of daily pills to protect against heart attacks and strokes (stock image)

Millions of high blood pressure patients in Britain could soon be offered a simple twice-a-year jab instead of daily pills to protect against heart attacks and strokes (stock image)

Just one dose of the drug Zilebesiran can send pressure plummeting within two weeks, and the benefits last for up to six months, according to the results of a new trial (stock image)

Just one dose of the drug Zilebesiran can send pressure plummeting within two weeks, and the benefits last for up to six months, according to the results of a new trial (stock image)

‘If this lives up to its promise, it will represent a huge shift in treatment,’ he said, adding that larger trials were now needed.

High blood pressure, known medically as hypertension, is estimated to affect 14.4 million people in the UK: a quarter of all adults. However, the condition rarely has noticeable symptoms – and, of these, a staggering four million are thought to be undiagnosed, as they have never been tested.

Dr Manish Saxena, a heart doctor at Barts Health NHS Trust who helped oversee the UK trials of zilebesiran, said: ‘High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, but many patients remain poorly controlled. Some forget to take daily medication, others struggle with side effects. This jab is so simple there’s no reason patients couldn’t self-administer it like they do with diabetes drugs such as insulin.’

Mild hypertension can be controlled with lifestyle changes – increasing exercise and reducing salt intake – but many with the condition ultimately require medication, and this is usually lifelong.

There are a wide variety of drug options. But according to Dr Saxena, patients may suffer from headaches, gastric problems, swelling of the legs and hands, sexual dysfunction and even hair loss. ‘This new injection seems not to cause any significant problems,’ he said.

‘An injection once every six months is easier for patients and given the pressure the NHS has been under since the pandemic, this is just the sort of solution we need to help people stay well. A treatment like this has the potential to become a new gold standard.’

Zilebesiran works by switching off the gene concerned with the production of angiotensin, a hormone that narrows blood vessels leading to raised blood pressure. Several existing drugs target angiotensin, but this is the first to cut off production ‘at the source’.

So far, the studies have involved only patients with mild to moderate high blood pressure. ‘We hope in the future we will see similar benefits in those with higher and more difficult-to-treat problems,’ said Dr Saxena. ‘Our patients have been very positive. They like the fact their blood pressure is controlled with very little medication.’


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