One year follow-up effect of renal sympathetic denervation in patients with resistant hypertension

BACKGROUND: Resistant hypertension is a common clinical problem of blood pressure that is not controlled despite the simultaneous application of multiple antihypertensive agents. Ablation of renal afferent nerves has been applied and proved to decrease hypertension and injuries produced by severe sympathetic hyperactivity. The main objective of this study was to investigate the long-term effect of renal artery sympathetic ablation and its complications in patients with treatment-resistant hypertension. METHODS: In this prospective study which done between March 2012 and November 2013, 30 patients with resistant arterial hypertension despite treatment with ≥3 antihypertensive drugs-were randomly enrolled in this self-control clinical study in Isfahan, Iran. The patients were treated with the renal denervation procedure; the femoral artery was accessed with the standard endovascular technique and the Symplicity catheter was advanced into the renal artery and connected to a radiofrequency generator. Before and 12 months after renal denervation procedure waist, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), metabolic syndrome, fasting blood sugar (FBS), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglyceride were measured in all patients. RESULTS: Both mean SBP and DBP were significantly decreased, 12 months after renal denervation (P < 0.001). The frequency of metabolic syndrome was not significantly different after renal denervation in compare to baseline (P = 0.174). Furthermore, a significant decreased in FBS and triglyceride was observed in compare to baseline (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the role of renal sympathetic denervation as a modern and secure catheter-based method for sustained reduction hypertension in treatment-resistant cases.