They identify medications for hypertension that also improve gut health and the immune system.

A preclinical study carried out by researchers from the University of Granada and the Institute of Biosanitary Research of Granada (ibs.GRANADA) showed that Some medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure have beneficial effects on gut health and the balance of gut bacteria.. These findings open up new possibilities for treating hypertension using an integrated approach that considers both blood pressure regulation and gut well-being.

Researchers from the ibs.GRANADA Cardiovascular Pharmacology Group, led by Dr. Juan Duarte, Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Granada, in collaboration with the ibs.GRANADA Group of Dr. Francisco O’Valle, Professor of Pathological Anatomy and History of Science at the University of Granada, analyzed effects of three widely used clinically used antihypertensive drugs (captopril, amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide) in rats with genetic hypertension

a condition that mimics hypertension in humans. The study found that some of these drugs not only regulate blood pressure, but also improve the composition of the gut microbiota, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the central nervous system.

Which hypertension medications improve gut health and immunity?

“Our research shows that captopril and amlodipine not only regulate blood pressure, but also have a positive effect on the gut-brain axis.promoting an anti-inflammatory response that can improve patients’ overall well-being,” explains Dr. Duarte.

The findings show that the hypertensive rats had gut dysbiosis, which is an imbalance in the composition of their gut bacteria, characterized by fewer beneficial acetate-producing bacteria and more bacteria harmful to hypertensives.

What effect do these medications have on the intestines?

Researchers observed that after treatment with captopril and amlodipineLevels of acetate-producing bacteria normalized and the gut barrier improved, which reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain.. In contrast, hydrochlorothiazide, although effective in lowering blood pressure, did not provide additional benefits on gut health.

One of the most interesting findings of this study, carried out by scientists from ibs.GRANADA, several departments of the University of Granada and the Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), is the role of amlodipine in improving the connection between the gut and the brain. A key axis in the regulation of blood pressure and neuroinflammation. In fact, when transplanting microbiota from amlodipine-treated rats into other hypertensive rats, the researchers observed a marked reduction in blood pressure and inflammation levels that was not achieved when transplanting microbiota from amlodipine-treated rats.

What new treatment avenues does this UGR study open up?

These results suggest potential of combining certain antihypertensive drugs with probiotics or microbiota modulators to enhance health benefits in patients with essential hypertension

. The study was funded by the State Research Agency, the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN) and the Junta of Andalusia, with support from the European Union (FEDER) and the Carlos III Institute of Health.

These findings represent important progress in understanding how interactions between certain drugs and the gut microbiota may be key to improving cardiovascular and immune health.