Existing blood pressure drug may slow rare childhood brain disease: Study

A study led by Amsterdam University Medical Centers and published in The Lancet Neurology suggests that guanabenz, an existing blood pressure medication, may slow the progression of vanishing white matter (VWM), a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder in children. Researchers observed that children with VWM treated with guanabenz became dependent on wheelchairs less frequently and less rapidly than a comparison group. No deaths occurred in the guanabenz-treated group during the study period, compared to five deaths in the control group. Side effects, including hallucinations, drowsiness, constipation, and low blood pressure, were mainly observed in the initial months of treatment but generally well-tolerated after four to six months.