New Study Finds Association Between Resistant High Blood Pressure and The Gut Microbiome

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 47% of adults in the United States have hypertension or high blood pressure. The International Society of Hypertension defines hypertension as blood pressure that is consistently higher than 140 over 90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

For many people, hypertension can be controlled using medication, dietary changes, and exercise. However, according to the CDC, only 24% of people have the condition under control. 

In a recent study, researchers from the University of Toledo, Ohio have found that gut bacteria may explain why the treatment is ineffective for some people. The study will be published in the journal Experimental Biology. 

Study Development and Results 

For the study, the team used a rat model and found that a common gut bacteria, Coprococcus comes, can interfere with the action of some angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. 

The team gave a single dose of quinapril to rats with high blood pressure and found that the drug was less effective in reducing blood pressure in rats with higher gut microbiota load. 

Then they gave the rats a combination of C.comes and quinapril and found that the rats had a smaller reduction in blood pressure than those given only quinapril. 

In vitro tests showed that C. comes broke down quinapril, making it less effective. This adds to previous studies showing that gut microbiomes can influence blood pressure. 

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Source:

Katherine Lang. (2022, Apr 6). Resistant high blood pressure: Gut bacteria may be to blame. Medical News Today. Retrieved from: 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/resistant-high-blood-pressure-gut-bacteria-may-be-to-blame

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