The DENERHTN Randomized Controlled Trial: Renal Denervation for Resistant Hypertension Revisited

Despite large reductions in blood pressure seen in early studies of renal denervation, the SYMPLICITY HTN-3 randomized trial failed to show a reduction in systolic blood pressure with renal denervation when compared to medical therapy alone. As a result, interest in renal denervation as a treatment for resistant hypertension has waned.  In the DENERHTN trial, […]

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Long-term benefit with blood pressure control, but not tight glucose control, in established type 2 diabetics  

Prior studies of type 1 diabetics and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics have suggested long-term reduction in mortality and macrovascular event risk resulting from earlier periods of tight glucose control. In the Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron Modified Release Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) trial, blood pressure control in patients with type 2 […]

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Vegetarian diet associated with lower blood pressure  

Conflicting evidence exists on the association between a vegetarian diet (involving no or rare meat consumption) and hypertension. In this meta-analysis, the authors included 7 controlled trials and 32 observational studies examining the association between vegetarian diets and hypertension. The 7 trials included 311 individuals with a mean age of 44.5 years.  After pooling of […]

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Blood pressure control, not the specific medication regimen, is what matters

The Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration examined primary data from 23 trials as well as summary data from an additional 3 trials to define the cardiovascular effects of lowering blood pressure in people with and without chronic kidney disease.  This study included randomized trials of drugs to lower blood pressure that were compared to […]

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Blood pressure telemonitoring leads to improved control

Only half of US adults have blood pressure levels that are controlled to recommended levels.  Home blood pressure monitoring has previously been shown to be a useful adjunct to team-based care for hypertension, and home BP readings can predict cardiovascular risk more accurately than office BP measurements.  Recent studies have suggested that a combined approach […]

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The importance of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

Among patients with resistant hypertension (RH) – defined as the failure to control blood pressure (BP) despite optimal treatment with at least 3 antihypertensive drugs in full dosages – controversy exists regarding the additive prognostic value of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) over clinic blood pressure readings (CBPR).  The prevalence of RH ranges from 10% […]

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