Two late-breaking studies presented at the annual TCT meeting showed that renal denervation safely and effectively lowered blood pressure among patients with treatment-resistant hypertension.
Renal denervation burns nerves in the blood vessels surrounding the kidneys to dampen the sympathetic nervous system and decrease blood pressure. Enthusiasm for renal denervation waned after Medtronic’s Symplicity 3 trial failed to meet its target endpoint in 2014.
New data suggests renal denervation may be making a comeback. Both Medtronic and Recor Medical presented randomized, sham-controlled data demonstrating the safety and efficacy of their respective renal denervation devices.
- ReCor’s ultrasound-powered Paradise device was tied to an 8 mmHg drop in ambulatory systolic BP readings at six months, compared to 2mmHg in the control arm (N=224). Participants also experienced similar reductions in the nighttime, 24-hour, and office readings.
- Medtronic’s Symplicity device also showed promising outcomes. At 3 years, the Symplicity group saw in-office systolic blood pressure drop by 22.1 mmHg, with similar trends in the 24-hour ambulatory group.
The Takeaway
Renal denervation continues to be a promising solution for patients with treatment-resistant hypertension. While previous studies may have fallen short and more research might be needed, physicians and regulators can have renewed confidence that Medtronic’s Symplicity system and ReCor’s Paradise device lower blood pressure.
