Ajay Kirtane (New York, USA) talks to Cardiovascular News about the RADIANCE-HTN TRIO trial which compared renal denervation with a sham procedure to see whether or not renal denervation could lower blood pressure out to two months in patients with hypertension resistant to three or more antihypertensive medications.
The data, which were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 70th Annual Scientific Session (ACC.21, 15–17 May, virtual), showed that at two months there was a drop in blood pressure of 8mm Hg in the renal denervation arm compared with 3mm Hg in the sham group. There were also drops in 24-hour blood pressure and night time blood pressure at two months following renal denervation and there were “no differences” between the two study arms in terms of adverse effects. This data is “exciting”, states Kirtane, as it indicates that renal denervation “may be an option for patients that have difficult to treat blood pressure”.
Despite the preliminary results, longer term follow-up is needed says Kirtane, who notes that the RADIANCE-HTN TRIO trial will continue to follow patients out to five years before concluding that blood pressure control is “ultimately the holy grail of a therapy like this”.
