Predicting blood pressure response to renal denervation based on a new approach

Identifying predictors of blood pressure (BP) response to renal denervation (RDN) is crucial for patient selection. According to Wilder's principle, baseline BP predicts BP change after any antihypertensive intervention. Thus, any observed BP change after RDN is the sum of the BP change depending on the baseline BP and the specific BP reduction due to RDN. Based on this concept, we propose a new definition of BP responders.

In our center, 148 patients with uncontrolled hypertension underwent RDN, and 24-h ambulatory BP (ABP) was measured at baseline, and 6 months after the procedure. The decrease in 24-h systolic BP (SBP) correlated with baseline SBP ( P  = <0.001, r  = -0.374). We determined the RDN-specific effect by subtracting the predicted SBP decrease from the observed SBP decrease. The cohort was divided into RDN responders, neutral responders, and nonresponders.

Our study population had a mean age of 59 ± 10.4 years and was 74% male. The RDN-specific (residual) 24-h ABP decreased by -14.9 ± 6.3/-8.2 ± 3.8 mmHg (responder group), 1.0 ± 3.2/0.2 ± 1.9 mmHg (neutral group), and 14.2 ± 10.4/8.3 ± 3.9 mmHg (nonresponder group) 6 months after RDN. Responders had fewer antihypertensive medications ( P  = 0.018), higher baseline office heart rate (HR) ( P  = 0.019), higher 24-h ambulatory HR ( P  = 0.003), lower BMI ( P  < 0.038), and absence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) ( P  = 0.020).

Our definition of BP responders to RDN separates baseline BP-related changes from RDN-specific changes. Positive predictors for BP response to RDN include low BMI, fewer antihypertensive medications, high baseline office HR, high 24-h ambulatory HR, and absence of T2D.