From the Guidelines
There is no vaccine available for treating hypertension (high blood pressure). Hypertension is a chronic condition typically managed through lifestyle modifications and medications rather than vaccination. Treatment usually involves antihypertensive medications such as ACE inhibitors (like lisinopril), ARBs (such as losartan), calcium channel blockers (like amlodipine), diuretics (such as hydrochlorothiazide), or beta-blockers (like metoprolol) 1. These medications work through different mechanisms to lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels, reducing fluid volume, or decreasing heart rate and contractility.
Key Considerations
- Hypertension management focuses on controlling blood pressure through daily medication, regular monitoring, dietary changes (reducing sodium intake, following the DASH diet), regular physical activity, weight management, limiting alcohol consumption, and avoiding tobacco.
- The development of a vaccine for hypertension is challenging because hypertension isn't caused by a specific pathogen that the immune system could be trained to recognize and fight.
- According to the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association hypertension guideline, treatment of resistant hypertension includes maximization of diuretic therapy, addition of a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, and referral to a hypertension specialist if blood pressure remains uncontrolled 1.
Management Strategies
- A team-based care approach is recommended for adults with hypertension, including the use of electronic health records and patient registries to recognize uncontrolled hypertension and guide initiatives for quality improvement in hypertension control.
- Telehealth strategies can also be useful adjuncts to interventions shown to lower blood pressure for adults with hypertension.
- It is essential to identify and address contributing lifestyle factors, discontinue or minimize substances that interfere with antihypertensive therapy, and exclude secondary causes of hypertension 1.
From the Research
Available Vaccines for Hypertension
- Several vaccine candidates against hypertension have been developed, including ATR12181, pHAV-4Ang IIs, CYT006-AngQb, AngI-R, and ATRQβ-001 2
- CYT006-AngQb, a vaccine targeting angiotensin II, has shown promising results in reducing blood pressure in humans, with a reduction of -9/-4 mm Hg 3
- Other vaccines, such as PMD-3117 and ATR12181, have also been developed to target the renin-angiotensin system, but their efficacy and safety in humans are still being studied 3
Mechanism of Action
- The vaccines work by inducing immunity against targets in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which plays a crucial role in regulating blood pressure 4
- The target antigen and selection of adjuvant are crucial factors determining the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine 4
Current Status and Future Directions
- Despite the promising results, vaccines for hypertension are still in the early phase of development, and more human studies are needed to establish their safety and efficacy 2, 4
- Researchers are exploring new approaches, such as virus-like particle technology, to develop more effective and safe vaccines against hypertension 5
- A vaccine against hypertension could potentially provide a long-lasting therapeutic effect with a low frequency of administration, improving patient compliance and blood pressure control 3, 4