Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines and the Iowa Heart Center are evaluating a novel device to help lower blood pressure for patients whose condition is resistant to drug treatments. Mercy is one of seven centers in the U.S. conducting the study of the MobiusHD device, which is permanently implanted in the patient’s carotid artery of the neck. The device is designed for patients with treatment-resistant high blood pressure, which occurs when a person’s blood pressure remains high (160 mmHg or greater) despite taking at least three different medications to lower it. “Despite advances in medical therapy, a growing number of patients suffer from drug resistance, and this population has very few options available to regulate blood pressure once they have failed multiple medications,” said Dr. Magdi Ghali, principal investigator of the trial at Mercy. For more information about the trial at Iowa Heart Center, call (515) 633-3845.