Renal denervation may help resistant hypertension patients with heart issues

This systematic review and meta-analysis looked at renal denervation in patients with resistant hypertension. The analysis included data from 818 patients. Researchers found that combining renal denervation with pulmonary vein isolation increased freedom from atrial fibrillation. The study also noted improvements in obstructive sleep apnea severity and fasting blood glucose levels. Left ventricular diastolic function improved as well, along with heart failure-related biomarkers like NT pro-BNP. Walking distance also showed improvement in the pooled data. No safety concerns or adverse events were reported in this review. The findings suggest renal denervation may have benefits beyond just lowering blood pressure. However, the study notes that further large-scale trials are warranted to confirm these effects and refine patient selection criteria. Readers should understand that while the pooled data shows promise, more research is needed before this becomes a standard recommendation for everyone. The evidence supports considering renal denervation as a treatment option for specific patients with resistant hypertension.