LONDON (TIP): A revolutionary device – a paper clip sized implant which is inserted between the artery and vein in the upper thigh have been found to tremendously lower blood pressure among patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure. Queen Mary University of London has developed a device called Coupler which has been found to be more beneficial compared to those treated with usual drug measures.

The procedure of putting the implant lasts around 40 minutes under local anaesthetic.

Researchers led a randomised, blinded endpoint clinical trial with patients from multiple European Centres of Hypertension Excellence – including the Barts Blood Pressure Clinic at Barts Health NHS Trust in east London -all of whom had resistant high blood pressure and had not responded to at least three types of drug treatment.

The team compared the effects of the Coupler versus usual medical treatment in 83 patients of whom 44 received the ROX Coupler therapy.

Patients who received the Coupler experienced a significant and durable reduction in blood pressure.

There was also a reduced number of hypertensive complications and hospital admissions for high blood pressure crises. Dr Melvin Lobo, lead author sad “This is an entirely new and highly promising concept in high blood pressure treatment. Existing drugs focus on hormonal or neurological regulation of blood pressure, and newer treatments such as renal denervation are uniquely centred on the renal nervous system. The Coupler effectively targets the mechanical aspects of how blood circulation works – so it’s a totally new approach to controlling blood pressure. The Coupler also highlights the importance of arterial stiffness as a major cause of resistant high blood pressure and it targets this issue both safely and successfully.