Nerve-zapping may lower blood pressure

CHICAGO The therapy lowered the top number of the blood pressure reading by an average of 33 points in 100 patients. Doctors say that is much better than the less-than-10-point drop that many drugs give.

The treatment uses radio waves to zap nerves near the kidneys that fuel high blood pressure.

It's done through a tube pushed into a blood vessel, much like angioplasty procedures open clogged heart arteries.

Results of the study were published in the British journal, Lancet.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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