This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Renal Denervation in Mild Resistant Hypertension Shows Promising Initial Results
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Results of a pilot study have shown catheter-based renal denervation to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with mild resistant hypertension, similar to observations of the strategy in patients with severe treatment resistant hypertension.
The prospective study, which was published in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, involved 20 patients (mean age, 60.6 years; 45% female) with office systolic BPs of 140 mm Hg to 160 mm Hg who were on a mean of 5.4 antihypertensive drugs. Patients were treated with catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation (Symplicity, Ardian/Medtronic) and clinical evaluations were performed at baseline, 3 and 6 months.
Researchers reported procedural success in all patients and no serious adverse events related to the procedure or device. Baseline BP was 148.4 mm Hg/83 mm Hg ± 6.6 mg Hg/11 mm Hg, which decreased by 5.7 mm Hg/0.6 mm Hg ± 20 mm Hg/8.3 mm Hg at 3 months (P=.2) and 13.1 mm Hg/5 mm Hg ± 13.6 mm Hg/8.3 mm Hg at 6 months (P<.01). When researchers compared baseline with 6-month follow-up, they observed a reduction in mean ambulatory 24-hour BP of 11.3 mm Hg/4.1 mm Hg ± 8.6 mm Hg/7.3 mm Hg (P<.01).
Furthermore, four patients were able to reduce antihypertensive medication before their 3-month visit.
Deepak L. Bhatt
Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, FSCAI, with the VA Boston Healthcare System and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, wrote in an accompanying editorial that this is an important and carefully conducted pilot study that establishes the safety of renal denervation in milder cases of resistant hypertension.
“Although greater numbers of patients and longer-term follow-up are certainly needed, Kaltenbach et al have already expanded the potential boundaries for renal denervation,” said Bhatt, who also is Chief Medical Editor of Cardiology Today’s Intervention.
For more information:
Bhatt DL. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2013;81:340-341.
Kaltenbach B. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2013;81:3335-339.