Predictors of Renal Denervation Efficacy in the Treatment of Resistant Hypertension

Abstract

The aims of the study were to evaluate the effects of renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) on the heart and to identify the predictors of RSD efficacy in patients with resistant arterial hypertension. The study comprised 60 RSD patients (54.6 ± 9.5 years) who received full-dose antihypertensive therapy (4.1 drugs) including diuretics. Initially, 58.6% of patients had abnormal left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. All patients received echocardiography before and 24 weeks after RSD. Renal sympathetic denervation was achieved through the endovascular radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the renal arteries. Drug therapy continued for the entire period of observation. After RSD, all patients were retrospectively assigned to two groups: group 1 comprised patients (n = 22; 36.7%) in whom the myocardial mass (MM) of the left ventricle decreased by more than 10 g after RSD; group 2 comprised patients (n = 38; 63.3%) in whom LV MM increased or decreased by less than 10 g. Anthropometry, arterial blood pressure, heart rate, therapy, and LV end-diastolic dimensions (EDD) were comparable in these groups. After RSD, the values of office blood pressure significantly decreased and MM regressed by more than 10 g in 36.7% of patients; LV diastolic function normalized in 31% of patients, and diastolic dysfunction improved in 14% of patients. The study found the associations between the initial LV wall dimensions and LV MM changes. Unlike LV EDD, arterial blood pressure, or heart rate, the initial values of LV wall thickness predicted LV MM regress.

Trial registration: #NCT01499810 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01499810.

Keywords: Diastolic function; Echocardiography; Heart; Hypertension; Left ventricular hypertrophy; RSD; Renal denervation.