A discovery about a function in the liver could lead to a new way to control blood pressure — a pill that mimics the effect of exercise — according to a recent study that features in the journal Cell Reports.

Share on Pinterest A new pill could bring all the cardiovascular benefits of exercise without any of the efforts.

The idea is that the tablet would raise body levels of a compound that helps to control blood pressure without having to do more exercise or eat less salt, say scientists from the University of Toledo in Ohio.

High sodium consumption — a significant risk factor for high blood pressure — depletes the body’s supply of the compound, which is a ketone called beta-hydroxybutyrate. The liver produces it when it metabolizes fatty acids.

Senior study author Bina Joe, who is a professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Toledo, says that their study is the first to introduce the concept of targeting liver function to control blood pressure.

When she and her team looked through previous studies, they saw how some had observed beta-hydroxybutyrate levels rising in line with exercise or restricting calories, both of which are known to lower blood pressure.

“The production of ketone bodies,” they note, “increases rapidly under energy-deficit conditions, such as calorie restriction and prolonged exercise, both of which are linked to health benefits of lowering [blood pressure].”

Their study, published in the journal Cell Reports, adds new information to this picture: it reveals that consuming a diet high in salt has the opposite effect.

“Our team,” says Prof. Joe, “found that high salt consumption lowered levels of circulating beta-hydroxybutyrate.”

“When we put beta-hydroxybutyrate back in the system, normal blood pressure is restored,” she adds.