A small ear-clip device that sends mild electrical pulses to nerves in the ear did not lower blood pressure more than a fake version of the device in people with uncontrolled hypertension, according to a randomized trial led by Queen Mary University of London. The SCRATCH-HTN study, published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, enrolled 63 patients. The device proved safe and easy to use at home.
The result is a useful reality check for anyone hoping for a drug-free way to manage stubborn high blood pressure. The trial's lead investigator described it as the first and most thorough study of its kind, and it found no overall blood pressure benefit.
