Hypertensive Patient to Receive Implantable Device to Regulate Blood Pressure

July 10, 2008

First Patient at GW Hospital; One of 121 Trial Participants Worldwide

Drake Ferguson, a 61-year-old resident of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has been battling high blood pressure, like approximately 73 million other Americans. Despite trying to regulate his hypertension with medication for more than six years, he had a stroke in January 2008 and decided it was time to pursue more aggressive treatment. Mr. Ferguson, whose father died of a stroke, experiences erratic episodes where his blood pressure can spike as high as 161 to 181 over 105 to 115. He can feel the rising flush from his chest, sometimes tingling as far as his hairline. The episodes can mean carrying around a blood pressure cuff, checking his blood pressure hourly, and taking medication, which isn’t always practical. While hypertension is sometimes called “the silent killer,” Mr. Ferguson describes his condition as a “noisy variant.”  

On July 11, Mr. Ferguson will be the first patient at The George Washington University Hospital and one of only 121 people worldwide to participate in the Pivitol Trial of the Rheos® Hypertension Therapy System™, an implantable device designed to electrically activate the body’s own natural blood pressure regulation system in order to treat drug-resistant hypertension. Dr. Gregory Trachiotis, Professor of Surgery and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at GW Hospital, will perform the procedure.

The FDA-approved device, which is inserted under the skin below the collarbone, works by electrically activating the baroreceptors, the body’s natural pressure sensors in the carotid arteries. When activated, the baroreceptors send signals through the carotid nerves to the brain, which are interpreted as a rise in blood pressure. The brain works to counteract the perceived blood pressure increase by sending signals to other parts of the body to reduce blood pressure, including the heart, blood vessels and kidneys. By mimicking the function of the body’s natural pressure sensors, the Rheos HT System provides what physicians describe as a “physiologically rational” method of reducing blood pressure.

“This surgical therapy device could be the turning point for patients with drug-resistant hypertension. I am hopeful that this device will prove to be helpful for these patients who face the daily challenges of taking multiple medications and who are at risk of sustaining potentially devastating cardiovascular events or other end-organ damage,” said Dr. Trachiotis, who is the principal investigator for the Rheos Pivotal Trial being conducted at The GW Medical Center.

For information about participating in the Rheos Pivotal Trial, please call 1-(888) 8BP-RISK (1-888-827-7475) or www.bloodpressuretrial.com.