High Blood Pressure Management

Staying informed is key

Understanding your blood pressure

Blood pressure is a measure of the force that your heart uses to pump blood around your body. Keeping a normal level of blood pressure is important to keep your heart and body healthy. If your blood pressure is too high (hypertension), it can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease by putting too much of a strain on your heart and arteries, and the organs they nourish. Your doctor has probably prescribed multiple blood pressure lowering medications in order to significantly reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke or kidney failure.

Hypertension is a problem that affects 1 in 3 adults and is the cause of 1 in every 8 deaths worldwide.^1,2

Understanding your blood pressure measurement

When your blood pressure is taken, two measurements are recorded during a single heartbeat:

• Systolic: the level of pressure when your heart pumps blood through your arteries and around your body
• Diastolic: the level of pressure when your heart is resting before it pumps again
• Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and is given as two levels. The systolic reading is the first or top number, followed by the diastolic reading, the second or bottom number.

Why is controlling your blood pressure important?

The risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure goes up as blood pressure goes up. So, you should always maintain your systolic blood pressure below 140 mmHg (or 130 mmHg if you suffer from diabetes). For example, if your systolic blood pressure number is 160 mmHg, then compared with people at 120 mmHg you are at:

• 4 times higher risk of heart attack³
• 4 times higher risk of stroke⁴
• 4 times higher risk of end-stage renal disease⁵
• 2 times higher risk of heart failure⁶

Hypertension VS resistant hypertension. What's the difference? 

Hypertension can usually be treated with lifestyle changes and/or medications. Unfortunately, up to 97% of patients who take antihypertensive medications experience drug side effects, and for some people, medications are not enough. Some people take 3 or more medications, including a diuretic, but still struggle to bring their blood pressure closer to a healthy level. Unfortunately, studies show that the addition of further medications seldom provides any meaningful additional benefit.^7,8 

If you consistently have a reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher, despite being treated with at least 3 medications, you might suffer from resistant hypertension. 

Gain control over resistant hypertension with BAROSTIM THERAPY™.

References: 
1. The World Health Report 2002. World Health Organization; 2002:58. 2. Wolf-Maier K. JAMA 2003;289:2363-2369. 3. Lewington Sl. Lancet. 2002;360:1903-1913. 4. American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2007 Update. Page e112. 5. American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2007 Update. Page e150. 6. American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2008 Update. Page 21. 7. Tedla YG and Bautista LE. Drug Side Effect Symptoms and Adherence to Antihypertensive Medication, Am J Hypertens. 2015 Dec 7. pii: hpv185. [Epub ahead of print]. 8. Timbie JW et al. Diminishing Efficacy of Combination Therapy, Response-Heterogeneity, and Treatment Intolerance Limit the Attainability of Tight Risk Factor Control in Patients with Diabetes. Health Serv Res. 2010 Apr; 45(2): 437-456.

Imbalance means greater risk

Your body is controlled by two systems that lead your heart's reaction to different situations. The sympathetic system is responsible for the “fight-or-flight" reaction, which is triggered when you face stressful situations. On the contrary, the parasympathetic system is responsible for “rest and digest" activities, and generally helps your heart and body calm down. 

In resistant hypertension, these two parts of the nervous system are imbalanced. Meaning, there is too much sympathetic activity and not enough parasympathetic activity in your body, putting your heart under a lot of stress and your overall health at serious risk.

BAROSTIM THERAPY™ balances sympathetic and parasympathetic activity

The BAROSTIM NEO™ device has been created for people like you, who need help controlling their resistant hypertension. It is a minimally-invasive implant that works together with your body, by sending signals that communicate with your brain. These messages activate a natural process that brings your nervous system back into balance, allowing you to reduce your blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels, slowing your heart down and reducing fluid accumulation by the kidneys.

The body responds to BAROSTIM NEO™ by…

Relaxing the blood vessels:
This makes it easier for blood to flow to the body, reducing excessive blood pressure.

Slowing the heart down:
This helps the heart work more efficiently.

Reducing fluid in the body through improved kidney function:
This lowers blood pressure and further reduces the heart's work load.

References:
1. BAROSTIM NEO system™ reference guide. Available here – Last accessed March 2016. 

A small device that helps your nervous system find balance

The BAROSTIM NEO™ device has been created for people like you, who need help controlling their resistant hypertension. It is a minimally-invasive implant that works together with your body, by sending signals that communicate with your brain. 1,2,3

Multiple studies have shown BAROSTIM THERAPY™'s effectiveness in reducing sympathetic activity and in increasing parasympathetic activity. 

By doing this, BAROSTIM THERAPY™ has been proven to safely reduce blood pressure in approximately 76% of people. 1

Moreover, study results have shown that using BAROSTIM NEO™ to reduce blood pressure is effective throughout 6 years of follow-up. 2

With BAROSTIM THERAPY™, you can reduce your blood pressure, which can reduce your risk of a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. 4

References: 
1. Bakris GL, Nadim MK, Haller H, Lovett EG, Schafer JE, Bisognano JD. Baroreflex activation therapy provides durable benefit in patients with resistant hypertension: results of long-term follow-up in the Rheos Pivotal Trial. J Am Soc Hypertens. 2012;6(2):152-158. 2. De Leeuw PW et al. Baroreceptor activation therapy in treatment-resistant hypertension: six years follow-up data. Presentation, ESH, Milan 2015. 3. Hoppe UC, Brandt MC, Wachter R, Beige J, Rump LC, Kroon AA, Cates AW, Lovett EG, Haller H. Minimally invasive system for baroreflex activation therapy chronically lowers blood pressure with pacemaker-like safety profile: results from the Barostim neo™ Trial. J Am Soc Hypertens. 2012;6(4):270-276. 4. Borisenko O et al. Cost-effectiveness of Barostim therapy for the treatment of resistant hypertension in European settings. Journal of Hypertension 2014, 32:681–692.

Over 1,000 people around the world have been treated with BAROSTIM THERAPY™.   

People with resistant hypertension who are being treated with BAROSTIM THERAPY™ stand by it: 1

• 82% of people say that they feel better with BAROSTIM THERAPY™.
• 84% of people rated their quality of life as better.
• 85% of people are more confident with the way their blood pressure is being managed.
• 91% of people are satisfied with BAROSTIM THERAPY™.
• 100% of people would recommend BAROSTIM THERAPY™ to others who have uncontrolled high blood pressure.

References:
1. Main results from the HTN patient survey, where 33 people who had a BAROSTIM NEO™ placed more than 6 months ago were consecutively surveyed. CVRx Data on file.

Hear first-hand how BAROSTIM THERAPY™ has impacted the life of Thierry, who has resistant hypertension

“I feel reassured…I feel calmer. With the BAROSTIM [NEO device] I'm more free than before."