Renal artery and parenchymal changes after renal denervation: assessment by magnetic resonance angiography

Renale Denervation – Phoenix aus der Asche

Die arterielle Hypertonie ist eine häufige und meistens unzureichend behandelte Erkrankung, die für eine Vielzahl von kardiovaskulären Komplikationen verantwortlich ist. Aufgrund der schlechten Therapieadhärenz resultieren Lebensstiländerungen und die medikamentöse Dauertherapie häufig nicht in einer ausreichenden Blutdrucksenkung. Die renale Denervation (RDN) hat damit das Potenzial, die bisherigen Strategien zur Therapie der arteriellen Hypertonie sinnvoll zu ergänzen. Unlängst haben mehrere randomisierte, unabhängige Studien das biologische Konzept der RDN eindeutig nachgewiesen. Dabei entspricht die erreichte Blutdrucksenkung im Mittel etwa dem eines Antihypertonikums. Unabhängig von der Therapietreue des Patienten ist die Wirkung anhaltend. Weitere klinische Untersuchung werden derzeit durchgeführt, um die bisherigen Ergebnisse zu festigen und bislang ungeklärte Fragen zu beantworten.

Kidney function and markers of renal damage after renal denervation. Does method of measurement matter? The Reshape CV-Risk Study

Data suggest that renal denervation (RDN) in treatment‐resistant hypertension (TRHT) is safe in terms of renal function. However, most studies report kidney function as creatinine‐based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which may be biased by non‐renal factors. Damage markers other than albuminuria have never been evaluated after RDN. In this non‐randomized RDN trial, we studied changes in kidney function, assessed as measured GFR (mGFR) and various GFR estimates, six months and two years after RDN. We also examined changes in albuminuria and a biomarker of tubular dysfunction. Adult non‐diabetic patients with TRHT and eGFR ≥45 ml/min/1.73 m² were recruited from hypertension clinics. Before bilateral RDN, mGFR was measured by iohexol clearance. We estimated eGFR from serum creatinine and cystatin C (eGFR_crea, eGFR_cys, and eGFR_creacys), and albumin‐creatinine ratio (ACR) and N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase (NAG)‐creatinine ratio (NAG‐CR) were measured in spot urines. All measurements were repeated after six and twenty‐four months.

Twenty patients, mean age 54 (±9) years and baseline mGFR 83 (±20) ml/min/1.73 m² underwent RDN. After six months, mGFR fell, eGFR_crea remained unchanged, whereas eGFR_cys and eGFR_creacys increased. At 2 years’ follow‐up, eGFR_creacys was significantly lower than at baseline. mGFR was 78 (±28) ml/min/1.73 m². Change in ambulatory systolic BP predicted change in eGFR_crea. Urinary NAG‐CR, but not ACR, increased during follow‐up.

Different GFR assessments gave diverging results after RDN. Therefore, care should be taken to method when evaluating kidney function after RDN. Increases in a tubular dysfunction biomarker suggest that kidney damage may occur. Long‐term renal follow‐up is needed after RDN.

SCMR Position Paper (2020) on clinical indications for cardiovascular magnetic resonance

The Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) last published its comprehensive expert panel report of clinical indications for CMR in 2004. This new Consensus Panel report brings those indications up to date for 2020 and includes the very substantial increase in scanning techniques, clinical applicability and adoption of CMR worldwide. We have used a nearly identical grading system for indications as in 2004 to ensure comparability with the previous report but have added the presence of randomized controlled trials as evidence for level 1 indications. In addition to the text, tables of the consensus indication levels are included for rapid assimilation and illustrative figures of some key techniques are provided.