[Catheter-based treatment of drug-resistant hypertension]

The role of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in the control of blood pressure and the occurrence of hypertension has been established both in animal models and in clinical practice. Patients resistant to treatment are common in clinical practice and require a new approach to optimize blood pressure control. The development of a catheter-based technique to denervate the kidneys for the treatment of high blood pressure was introduced recently. The concept was based on old data of surgical renal denervation which was effective but associated with important morbidity. Recent data shows that catheter-based renal denervation is feasible and safe in humans and preliminary clinical studies are very promising. These data need confirmation in larger randomised controlled trials with longer-term follow-up.