Positive effects of renal denervation on left ventricular hypertrophy and subendocardial damage

Background. The high prevalence of cardiac damage in resistant hypertensive patients signifcantly increases the risk of cardiovascular complications. Despite the antihypertensive effcacy of renal denervation (RDN), the cardioprotective effect has not been suffciently studied.

Objective. To study the changes in left ventricular mass (LVM) and volume of myocardial damage after the RDN and to detect a possible connection of the studied parameters with blood pressure (BP) reduction after RDN.

Design and methods. RDN was applied to 84 patients with resistant hypertension. Initially, at 6 and 12 months after treatment, patients underwent the measurements of the “offce” BP, 24-h BP, echocardiography and cardiac contrast-enhanced magnet-resistance tomography.

Results. At baseline, “offce” BP averaged 175,3 ± 22,1 / 100,4 ± 16,1 mmHg and the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was 84,5 %. “Offce” BP reduced signifcantly at 6 month by –27,5 (–74,0; 12,0) / –14,2 (–39,4; 10,3) mmHg (p < 0,001), at 12 month by –31,6 (–78,7; 8,3) / –15,5 (–43,3; 10,2) mmHg (p < 0,001). 24-h BP reduced signifcantly at 6 month by –13,0 (–45,2; 17,6) / –6 (–27,8; 8,9) mmHg (p < 0,001), at 12 month by –14,3 (–52; 25) / –7,3 (–26; 15,0) mmHg (p < 0,001). At 12 month after RDN LVM decreased by 6,9% (p = 0,015), LV mass index by 5,5 % (p = 0,020). According to MR study, subendocardial damage was detected in 100% of patients in the absence of coronary atherosclerosis. A volume of subendocardial damage signifcantly reduced by 29 % at 6 month (p = 0,031) and by 41,4% at 12 months after RDN (p = 0.008). LVM reduced signifcantly by 18,3 % (р = 0,008). LVM also reduced signifcantly in non-responder’s group at 6 month after RDN (р = 0,046). The regression of subendocardial damage correlated with the change in systolic BP at 12 months after RDN (р = 0,034). There was no signifcant correlation between LVH regression and baseline BP and its change after RDN.

Conclusions. One year after RDN, LVH decreased independently from the BP change. Subendocardial damage was detected in 100% patients, regressed at 6 months after RDN and correlated with the regression of systolic BP at 12 month after the RDN.

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