LAUSR

Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide. The number of individuals with hypertension is estimated to be up to 1.28 billion, and two-thirds of them live in lowand middle-income countries (LMICs) [1]. Moreover, the number of individuals with hypertension is increasing in LMICs mainly due to an increase in hypertension risk factors such as changes in diet and salt intake. However, the management of hypertension in LMICs is not satisfactory because of low hypertension awareness, a lack of adequate access to essential medications and nonadherence to antihypertensive medication (Fig. 1) [2]. Vaccines are relatively easy to deliver and provide lifelong protection in most cases. Thus, vaccination to prevent hypertension may help people with lower cardiovascular risk living in LMICs. The present study by Nalagami et al. was a phase I/IIa study of the angiotensin II vaccine AGMG0201 in patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension [3]. AGMG0201 vaccination was well tolerated at both low and high doses. A measurable antibody titer was detected in most individuals, but the antibody titer varied among individuals. No severe adverse effects were observed in the vaccination groups, especially in the highdose group. The efficacy of this vaccine for blood pressure was not investigated in this study. Next, advanced clinical studies to investigate the efficacy of this vaccine are expected.