{
  "id": 18948382,
  "title": "New drug could be cure for common cause of high blood pressure",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/new-drug-could-be-cure-for-common-cause-of-high-blood-pressure",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-08T13:53:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Health",
    "slug": "guardian-health",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/nov/08/new-drug-high-blood-pressure-baxdrostat"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A groundbreaking drug called baxdrostat has shown the potential to cure a common cause of high blood pressure, known as primary aldosteronism, for years after patients stop taking it. Baxdrostat, an aldosterone synthase inhibitor (ASI), curbs the hormone that triggers hypertension by signaling the kidneys to retain salt. The drug, approved for use in the US, is now being studied by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for possible NHS availability.\n\nIn a trial involving 14 patients, blood pressure improved during a three-month course of baxdrostat. Strikingly, the benefits persisted up to two years after patients discontinued the medication, with some no longer needing any hypertension drugs. Prof Morris Brown, a hypertension specialist at Queen Mary University of London, expressed excitement over the findings, stating that a quarter of patients were able to come off all treatment and achieve normal blood pressure.\n\nThe drug's potential curative effect emerged from a small study, where patients experienced significant improvements in hypertension during a three-month trial. They continued the daily pills for six to 12 months and then stopped, only to have their blood pressure remain lower up to two years later. Brown suspects that baxdrostat's mechanism of action may cause a surge in reactive oxygen species, which selectively destroy cells that overproduce the hormone, leading to their disappearance.\n\nShould the findings hold true in larger trials, primary aldosteronism treatment could change dramatically. Patients could potentially be treated with an ASI in the initial stages of suspicion, avoiding invasive diagnostic procedures and surgery. The drug's effectiveness in curing the condition could benefit over a billion people worldwide, including more than 12 million in the UK who suffer from high blood pressure.",
  "summary": "Benefits of baxdrostat are unexpectedly found to remain up to two years after patients stop taking it Millions of people with high blood pressure stand to benefit from a new drug that has stunned doctors by reversing a common cause of the condition for years after patients stopped taking the medication. Patients who took the drug, called baxdrostat, saw their blood pressure improve during a six-…",
  "key_points": [
    "Baxdrostat cures primary aldosteronism, common cause of high blood pressure.",
    "Drug's benefits last up to two years after patients stop taking it.",
    "Potential to treat over a billion people worldwide with hypertension."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}