Interim report suggests that renal denervation appears to decrease ambulatory blood pressure in patients ‘off meds’ – a story that continues to unfold

Perhaps no potential cardiovascular intervention has enjoyed such a roller-coaster ride of expectation as catheter based renal denervation therapy (RDT) for the treatment of hypertension. Initial data from studies without a true sham control group demonstrated significant reductions in blood pressure (BP)1 and led to excess exuberance among many stakeholders. Then, when a single subsequent prospective randomized controlled trial of RDT versus sham procedure, Symplicity HTN-3,2 failed to demonstrate a significant reduction in ambulatory BP that exuberance turned to expressions of futility, which were likely just as irrationally excessive as the initial optimism.
Source: Journal of the American Society of Hypertension - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Hypertension Highlights Source Type: research