Renal denervation: the hope for patients with refractory hypertension?

Abstract

Refractory hypertension carries high risk of complications. Renal denervation (RDN) is a new invasive method of catheter-based radiofrequency ablation of the sympathetic nerves located around renal arteries.

The initial clinical experience showed promising and long (2 years) lasting decreases in blood pressure. RDN has provided interesting results also in patients with hypertension plus heart failure and among diabetics with hypertension.

This article reviews the published data and provides insight into the methodology of RDN.

Keywords

• Renal denervation
• refractory hypertension
• radiofrequency ablation
• sympathetic nerve block
• invasive cardiology