Blood Pressure Response to Main Renal Artery and Combined Main Renal Artery Plus Branch Renal Denervation in Patients With Resistant Hypertension

• Published in: Journal of the American Heart Association 2017-08, Vol.6 (8), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Fengler, Karl, Ewen, Sebastian, Höllriegel, Robert, Rommel, Karl‐Philipp, Kulenthiran, Saaraaken, Lauder, Lucas, Cremers, Bodo, Schuler, Gerhard, Linke, Axel, Böhm, Michael, Mahfoud, Felix, Lurz, Philipp
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Angiography; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Blood Pressure - drug effects; branch ablation; Case-Control Studies; Catheter Ablation - adverse effects; Catheter Ablation - instrumentation; Catheter Ablation - methods; combined ablation; Drug Resistance; Electrodes; Equipment Design; Female; Humans; hypertension; Hypertension - diagnosis; Hypertension - physiopathology; Hypertension - surgery; kidney; Kidney - blood supply; Male; Middle Aged; Original Research; Prospective Studies; Renal Artery - diagnostic imaging; Renal Artery - innervation; renal nerves; renal sympathetic denervation; resistant hypertension; Sympathectomy - adverse effects; Sympathectomy - instrumentation; Sympathectomy - methods; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Access Devices
• ISSN: 2047-9980; 2047-9980
• DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.117.006196

Background Single‐electrode ablation of the main renal artery for renal sympathetic denervation showed mixed blood pressure (BP)‐lowering effects. Further improvement of the technique seems crucial to optimize effectiveness of the procedure. Because sympathetic nerve fibers are closer to the lumen in the distal part of the renal artery, treatment of the distal main artery and its branches has been shown to reduce variability in treatment effects in preclinical studies and a recent randomized trial. Whether this optimized technique improves clinical outcomes remains uncertain. We report a 2‐center experience of main renal artery and combined main renal artery plus branches renal denervation in patients with resistant hypertension using a multielectrode catheter. Methods and Results Twenty‐five patients with therapy‐resistant hypertension underwent renal sympathetic denervation with combined main renal artery and renal branch ablation and were compared to matched controls undergoing an ablation of the main renal artery only. BP change was assessed by ambulatory measurement at baseline and after 3 months. At baseline, BP was balanced between the groups. After 3 months, BP changed significantly in the combined ablation group (systolic/diastolic 24‐hour mean and daytime mean BP −8.5±9.8/−7.0±10.7 and −9.4±9.8/−7.1±13.5 mm Hg, P