Catheter-based renal sympathetic nerve denervation on hypertension management outcomes

BACKGROUND: Renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) provides a minimally invasive interventional treatment modality for patients with resistant hypertension. However, the post-operative outcomes remain a key area of investigation since its earliest clinical trials. AIM: To evaluate patient outcomes after RSD intervention among peer-reviewed patient cases. METHODS: A systematic review of literature on MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for RSD case studies to assess post-operative hypertension readings and medical management. RESULTS: Among 51 RSD cases, the post-operative RSD patients report an apparent reduction with a mean number of 3.1 antihypertensive medications. The mean systolic arterial blood pressure 1 year following RSD was 136.0 mmHg (95%CI: 118.7-153.3). CONCLUSION: The apparent improvements in office systolic blood pressure after 12 month post-operative RSD can support the therapeutic potential of this intervention for blood pressure reduction. Additional studies which utilized a uniform methodology for blood pressure measurement can further support the findings of this systematic review.