Gas responsible for smell of rotten eggs good for blood pressure

London, May 10 (UNI) You may wince at the smell of a stink bomb, sewage or rotten eggs, but for people suffering from high blood pressure, it could be a breath of fresh air.

British researchers have claimed that the stinking hydrogen sulfide gas, also known as H2S has a role in regulating blood pressure. It is known to relax arteries and veins allowing for a smoother blood flow.

Researchers at the King's College London and Peninsula Medical School in Exeter have created a drug which boosts levels of hydrogen sulfide in the body, widening the arteries.

Gases are normal in the blood, and it has been thought that imbalance between them can cause problems. The researchers said that a drop in nitric oxide, for example, can increase blood pressure. Hydrogen sulfide, which is also produced in small quantities by the body, may fight the effect.

Tests carried out on rats showed that the drug ''significantly'' lowered blood pressure, they said.

The findings of the study reported in the journal 'Circulation', said the drug opened up an entirely new therapeutic approach for the treatment of hypertension and could make it easier for doctors to find the right cocktail of tablets to keep blood pressure in check.

''Hydrogen sulphide is one of the molecules that was around when the Earth was being made. Now we are finding roles for it in the body which we never thought would happen,'' study author Professor Philip Moore said.

He however, said thewr was need for much more research, including safety tests and it would be at least another ten years before hydrogen sulphide drug, or similar medicines were on the shelves.

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