Grandma's House

This could be really great news for the large group of people who suffer from high blood pressure.

A 36-year-old woman with severe hypertension has been fitted with a pacemaker-like implant that, in limited trials in Europe, has shown promise in controlling wayward blood pressure through electronic stimulation of neck-artery nerves.

Surgeons at the University of Rochester Medical Center inserted a battery powered pulse generator under Lawrence's collarbone along with tiny wires running up each side of her neck that stimulate nerves in the carotid arteries that play a role in regulating blood pressure.

After the operation, which lasted a few hours, her systolic blood-pressure reading dropped from about 210 millimeters to about 160, Sloand said.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if thousands of people no longer had to take medication for their blood pressure? I'd be thrilled if I didn't need my meds anymore, but they haven't figured out a way to do that yet.