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Updated: May 12, 2026

Improved Renal Denervation Mitigated Hypertension Induced by Angiotensin II Infusion
Published on: May 26, 2022
Resistant hypertension and target organ damage.
Maria Lorenza Muiesan1, Massimo Salvetti, Damiano Rizzoni
1Clinica Medica, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy. muiesan@med.unibs.it
Resistant hypertension (RH) significantly increases cardiovascular risks and target organ damage (TOD). Effective treatments can control blood pressure and potentially reverse TOD, improving patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Cardiovascular (CV) complications like myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and renal failure correlate with blood pressure (BP) elevation duration and severity.
- Resistant hypertension (RH) presents a heightened risk for CV complications and target organ damage (TOD).
- The interplay between CV disease and TOD is bidirectional, with elevated BP in RH causing CV alterations and TOD exacerbating hypertension control difficulties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the link between resistant hypertension, cardiovascular complications, and target organ damage.
- To understand the bidirectional relationship between cardiovascular disease and target organ damage in resistant hypertension.
- To review therapeutic strategies for managing resistant hypertension and its associated target organ damage.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating resistant hypertension, cardiovascular complications, and target organ damage.
- Analysis of the relationship between elevated blood pressure, structural/functional cardiovascular alterations, and target organ damage.
- Examination of comorbidities associated with resistant hypertension, such as obesity, sleep apnea, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and hyperaldosteronism.
Main Results:
- Resistant hypertension is linked to increased prevalence of target organ damage and higher cardiovascular complication rates.
- Conditions like obesity, diabetes, and hyperaldosteronism, often co-occurring with RH, involve humoral/hormonal factors contributing to TOD.
- Elevated BP in RH can lead to left ventricular hypertrophy, aortic stiffness, atherosclerotic plaques, microvascular disease, and renal dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Optimal therapeutic strategies, encompassing pharmacological and invasive methods, are crucial for managing resistant hypertension.
- Achieving adequate blood pressure control can induce regression of target organ damage.
- Effective management of resistant hypertension and associated target organ damage holds the potential to improve patient prognosis.
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