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  • Review Article
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Device-based therapies for arterial hypertension

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 17, pages 614–628 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Arterial hypertension is the most prevalent modifiable risk factor associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although antihypertensive drugs are widely available, in many patients blood pressure control to guideline-recommended target values is not achieved. Several device-based approaches have been introduced to lower blood pressure; most of these strategies aim to modulate autonomic nervous system activity. Clinical trials have moved from including patients with resistant hypertension receiving intensive pharmacological treatment to including patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension in the presence or absence of antihypertensive medications. Renal sympathetic denervation is the most extensively investigated device-based therapy for hypertension, and randomized, sham-controlled trials have provided proof-of-principle data for its blood pressure-lowering efficacy. Unilateral electrical baroreflex activation, endovascular baroreflex amplification and pacemaker-mediated cardiac neuromodulation therapy have yielded promising results in observational trials, which need to be confirmed in larger, adequately powered, sham-controlled trials. Until further evidence becomes available, device-based therapy for hypertension should not be considered for routine treatment. However, when considering a device-based treatment for hypertension, the underlying pathophysiology in each patient has to be taken into consideration, and the procedural risks weighed against the cardiovascular risk attributable to the elevated blood pressure. This Review summarizes the pathophysiological rationale and the latest clinical evidence for device-based therapies for hypertension.

Key points

  • The second generation of placebo-controlled trials of renal sympathetic denervation has provided proof of principle for the blood pressure-lowering efficacy of radiofrequency-based and ultrasound-based renal denervation in patients with or without concomitant pharmacological therapy.

  • Electrical baroreflex activation, endovascular baroreflex amplification and pacemaker-mediated cardiac neuromodulation therapy have yielded promising results in observational studies, which have to be confirmed in adequately powered, placebo-controlled trials.

  • The use of device-based therapies for hypertension should at present be restricted to clinical study activities in specialized centres.

  • When considering a device-based treatment for hypertension, the underlying pathophysiology has to be taken into consideration, and the procedural risks weighed against the cardiovascular risk attributable to the elevated blood pressure for each patient.

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Fig. 1: Device-based therapies for arterial hypertension.
Fig. 2: Milestones in device-based treatment of arterial hypertension.
Fig. 3: Change in systolic blood pressure with renal sympathetic denervation.
Fig. 4: Change in systolic blood pressure with device-based therapies for hypertension.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Kardiologie, Angiologie und Internistische Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Saarland University, Homburg (Saar), Germany

    Lucas Lauder, Michael Böhm & Felix Mahfoud

  2. Université de Paris, INSERM CIC1418, Paris, France

    Michel Azizi

  3. AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, Hypertension Unit, F-CRIN INI-CRCT network, Paris, France

    Michel Azizi

  4. Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA

    Ajay J. Kirtane

  5. Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York, NY, USA

    Ajay J. Kirtane

  6. Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Felix Mahfoud

Authors
  1. Lucas Lauder
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  2. Michel Azizi
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  3. Ajay J. Kirtane
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  4. Michael Böhm
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  5. Felix Mahfoud
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All the authors contributed to all aspects of the preparation of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Felix Mahfoud.

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Competing interests

M.A. reports grants from the French Federation of Cardiology, the French Ministry of Health, Idorsia, Novartis and Quantum Genomics; grants and non-financial support from ReCor Medical; and speaker honoraria from CVRx and Novartis. A.J.K. reports institutional funding to Columbia University and/or Cardiovascular Research Foundation from Abbott Vascular, Abiomed, Boston Scientific, CSI, Medtronic, Philips and ReCor Medical. M.B. receives support from Abbott, Astra-Zeneca, Bayer, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, TTR 219, S-01, M-03, M-05), Medtronic, Novartis, ReCor Medical, Servier and Vifor. F.M. receives support from Deutsche Hochdruckliga (DHL), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kardiologie (DGK) and DFG (SFB TRR219) and has received scientific support and speaker honoraria from Medtronic and ReCor Medical. L.L. declares no competing interests.

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Lauder, L., Azizi, M., Kirtane, A.J. et al. Device-based therapies for arterial hypertension. Nat Rev Cardiol 17, 614–628 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-020-0364-1

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