A jab that will cure high blood pressure

British scientists have developed a vaccine to control high blood pressure which could save tens of thousands of lives a year in the UK alone.
Based on a protein found in limpets, it would need a course of just three jabs, with a booster every six months.
High blood pressure, which affects a third of all adults, doubles the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke and is blamed for 60,000 deaths a year in Britain.
It is currently treated with pills, but they can cause side-effects and some patients simply stop taking them.
Now the Cheshire-based drug firm Protherics says its vaccine will make it much easier for people to control their blood pressure.
“Improving compliance in this way could save thousands from life-threatening complications such as heart attack or stroke,” said the company’s Dr Andrew Heath.
The jab, which has been successfully tested on people, uses the limpet protein to attack a hormone called angiotensin, which is produced by the liver.

Read more