Effects of intravenous laser blood irradiation on sympathoadrenal activity and endothelial dysfunction in resistant hypertension

BACKGROUND: Resistant hypertension is strongly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications, poor prognosis, and reduced quality of life, remaining a major global medical and social challenge. Standard antihypertensive therapy is often insufficiently effective. In this context, physiotherapeutic methods such as intravenous laser blood irradiation, known for its pleiotropic effects, represent a promising therapeutic approach. AIM: To evaluate the impact of intravenous laser blood irradiation as an adjunctive treatment to standard antihypertensive therapy on the achievement of target blood pressure levels and plasma levels of β-adrenergic reactivity of erythrocyte membranes (β-AREM), nitric oxide (NO), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in patients with resistant hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 100 ambulatory patients aged 18–45 years with resistant hypertension, randomized into: main group (n=50, receiving intravenous laser blood irradiation in addition to standard antihypertensive therapy) and comparison group (n=50, receiving only standard antihypertensive therapy). Assessments were conducted at baseline and after two months, including: 24-hour BP monitoring, plasma β-AREM, NO, and ET-1 levels. The control group (n=45) included patients with controlled hypertension. RESULTS: After two months, the main group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in number of patients achieving target BP levels (p 0.05), as well as in β-AREM (p=0.002), NO (p=0.028), ET-1 (p=0.006). CONCLUSION: Intravenous laser blood irradiation may serve as an effective adjunctive therapy in the pathogenetically oriented management of resistant hypertension in outpatient settings.