Pacemaker for people with high blood pressure
Patients with hypertension and hard-to-control high blood pressure may have new hope. A special pacemaker for people with high blood pressure is already showing promising results.
This device is not a conventional pacemaker in which the leads are placed inside the heart. Similar to a pacemaker, the device is implanted on the left side of the chest, but its leads stimulate certain points (so-called baroreceptors) in the left and right carotid arteries that are responsible for regulating blood pressure. This tricks the body into sensing a higher blood pressure than is actually present, prompting it to counter-regulate and thereby lower the blood pressure.
In these cases the hypertension pacemaker is a promising option with response rates between 80 and 85 percent.
The pacemaker can be programmed individually for the patient, since duration, strength and frequency of the impulses can be adjusted independently.
The pacemaker can be programmed individually for the patient, since duration, strength and frequency of the impulses can be adjusted independently.
So far, this new method is offered only in a very small number of specialized centers. The operating physician needs some experience to find the designated points in the carotid artery and to place the leads. The operation itself is not a major procedure, because the vessel does not need to be opened. For the patient, the pacemaker is a major benefit, because, in addition to a clear blood pressure reduction, existing blood vessel or kidney damage can partially improve.
Sources
This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 02/2026).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
