Subscribe now

Health

Ultrasound therapy could treat lung condition linked to heart failure

Mice benefitted from ultrasound therapy for a rare lung condition – the treatment might work for common forms of high blood pressure, too

By Grace Wade

13 May 2024

2M9GRJH Doctor examines patient with prolapse of left kidney and spleen using ultrasound probe

Stimulating a nerve in the spleen could treat a rare lung condition with limited long-term therapies

Hanna Kuprevich/Alamy

Ultrasound therapy could treat a rare lung condition that raises blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs and heart and can lead to heart failure.

The condition, called pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is caused in part by inflammation, which can thicken and constrict blood vessels. Previous research in people without underlying health conditions demonstrated stimulating a nerve in the spleen with ultrasound waves could suppress inflammation.

Stavros Zanos at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York and…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Unlock this article

No commitment, cancel anytime*

Offer ends 15 January 2025.

*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.

Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account