Five-year dynamics adrenergic reactivity of erythrocytes after radio-frequency sympathic denervation of renal arteries in patients with resistant arterial hypertension

Aim. To study the initial state of adrenergic reactivity and the five-year dynamics of the beta-adrenergic reactivity index of erythrocyte membranes and the manifestation of the antihypertensive effect of the procedure for radiofrequency destruction of sympathetic structures of the renal artery in patients with resistant arterial hypertension.

Subjects and methods. The analysis included 42 patients with resistant arterial hypertension (RH). The renal denervation (RD) procedure of the kidneys was performed by endovascular bilateral transcatheter radiofrequency ablation of the renal arteries. The study of 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (BPM) and the determination of β-adrenoreactivity of erythrocytes (β-ARM) by changes in the osmoresistance of erythrocyte membranes were performed initially, 1 week, 6 months, 1, 2, 3 and 5 years after RD. Patients retrospectively, at a follow-up period of 6 months after RD, were divided into responders (decrease in blood pressure by 10 or more mm Hg) and non-responders (decrease in blood pressure less than 10 mm Hg).

Results. 6 months after the RD, the number of responders was 28 people (66.7%), after 5 years - 31 people (73.8%). At the time of inclusion in the study, the median β-ARM in the group of non-responders was not significantly higher than in the group of responders. After 6 months after the RD procedure, the β-ARM indicator in the non-responder group was significantly lower than in the responder group (p = 0.043). With further follow-up in the group of responders, an increase in the median β-ARM was noted, which reached significant differences relative to the baseline values in the group at follow-up periods of 1 year (p = 0.036) and 5 years (p = 0.004) after RD. The change in the β-ARM indicator in the non-responder group was wavy in nature, the changes did not reach the significance criteria.

Conclusion. Renal denervation in 73.8% of cases is accompanied by a stable antihypertensive response for 5 years of observation and an increase in β-ARM, which may indicate the implementation of compensatory mechanisms in conditions of increasing activity of the sympathoadrenal system in response to a decrease in blood pressure.