Researchers at the University of Virginia have discovered a
possible new way of treating high blood pressure.
Researchers found that hemoglobin, which is best known for
transporting oxygen in the blood, also controls something called nitric oxide. That
nitric oxide causes the relaxation of blood cells, which in turn brings down
blood pressure.
"That translational research is what moves this basic
science observation into the clinic," said UVA researcher Brant Isakson. "Without basic science we have no
translational research. These discoveries which lead to new therapeutic
treatments, and that's what we're working on."
They say that these new findings are not an official treatment
yet and only serve as a new approach to treating high blood pressure.
