Drug-Resistant Hypertension in India May Ease With New Drug

Baxdrostat is a new blood pressure medication created by AstraZeneca that has been seen to lower the risk of cardiovascular in patients with resistant hypertension, i.e., those whose blood pressure cannot be controlled with the use of multiple medications, according to a trial led by University College London.

The study found that Baxdrostat reduced systolic blood pressure by an additional 9-10 mmHg as compared to placebo, and 40% of patients reached normal levels. The drug was introduced at several international cardiology meetings and will soon be launched in India, said the UCL principal investigator, Mark Webster.

According to experts, these results can change the game. “The impact of one more 10 mmHg blood pressure fall on cardiovascular risk can hardly be overestimated. Baxdrostat, a novel direct aldosterone antagonist inhibiting the production of the hormone most responsible for resistant hypertension, delivers the next big step,” said Dr. Nimit C. Shah, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Saifee Hospital, Mumbai.

Talking about this discovery and calling it a historic moment, Pravin Kahale, Consultant Cardiologist, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, said, “In the last 20 years, I have not been able to recollect any authoritative game-changer new medicine in the field of Hypertension existed.” Furthermore, he informed that the medicine could also be useful in postponing the onset of renal failure and the need for dialysis in diabetic patients.

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Dhiman Kaili, cardiologist at B M Birla Heart Hospital, Kolkata, said, “Spironolactone is just like Baxdrostat but Baxdrostat keeps effectiveness at the same level with less hormonal side effects.” While Baxdrostat inhibits production of aldosterone completely, therefore, it may release with greater effectiveness, with less risk as compared to spironolactone.