Short-term effects of denervation in the treatment of hypertension: A meta-analysis excluding drug interferences.

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the short-term efficacy of denervation in treating hypertension with the exclusion of drug-interfering factors.

METHODS

An electronic search was conducted across 8 databases, including MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE, for articles on denervation in the treatment of medication-naïve hypertension published from inception to May 2024. All data were meta-analyzed using RevMan 5.3 software.

RESULTS

Four studies, comprising a total of 752 subjects, were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis indicated that, compared to the sham-operated group, the denervation group showed a significant reduction in short-term 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure and office systolic blood pressure (OSBP) as well as office diastolic blood pressure (ODBP). No significant safety events were identified.

CONCLUSION

Denervation has the potential to reduce blood pressure in the short-term for patients with medication-naïve hypertension, demonstrating an acceptable safety profile. This offers hope for patients who are intolerant to drug therapy or unwilling to take lifelong medication. However, its long-term effects require further study. Future research should focus on expanding the sample size and prolonging the follow-up period to further solidify its role in the treatment of hypertension.