A breakthrough for "untreatable" high blood pressure
For Edna Gordon, 83, of Aravada, one unfortunate side effect of her Parkinson’s disease was very high blood pressure that she and her doctors could not get under control.
“It’s been like a yo-yo,” said Edna, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 18 years ago. “We tried every kind of blood pressure medicine, but I just can’t take the medications.” Edna’s blood pressure was hitting a dangerously high 200/100 at times.
Fortunately for Edna, Dr. Rajesh Sharma, cardiologist with HCA HealthONE, who specializes in interventional cardiology and vascular disease, was able to bring her back to a nearly normal level using a relatively new procedure called renal ablation.
Uncontrolled blood pressure can have serious consequences, Dr. Sharma said, including elevated risks of stroke and heart disease. A 10-point drop in blood pressure can mean a 20% reduction in a patient’s chance of cardiovascular events, such as strokes and heart attacks.
FDA-approved in 2023, the renal denervation procedure is a safe, effective, minimally invasive option for patients whose hypertension is resistant to medications.
“Renal denervation is really an exciting way to treat blood pressure,” Dr. Sharma said. “It’s been in use in Europe for a while. And we began to see insurance coverage in the U.S. in the last few months.”
Overactive renal nerves, which are near the kidneys, can increase blood pressure. To counteract that, interventional cardiologists insert a catheter through the groin to send ultrasound and radiofrequency energy to the renal arteries, the arteries that supply blood to your kidneys. The energy injures or “ablates” the renal nerves without damaging the arteries. Lowering the activity of the renal nerves can permanently lower blood pressure.
Dr. Sharma said that, although the procedure doesn’t work for everyone, most patients can expect to see a substantial, permanent drop in blood pressure. About 60-70 percent of patients realize a meaningful decrease.
In Edna’s case, she was able to drop two of her three blood pressure medications and keep her blood pressure in the 130/77 range, if, she joked, she avoids her favorite cheeseburgers.
Dr. Sharma and Edna agreed the procedure, which Edna underwent at HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge, was relatively simple.
Patients are sedated and the procedure itself takes less than an hour. Patient recovery is a short four or five hours. “And then I just took it easy for three or four days,” Edna said.
The complication rate for renal ablation is low, said Dr. Sharma, and the risk of kidney injury is rare, if at all. To be considered a candidate, a patient needs to have healthy kidneys.
“HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge was great; everyone knew what they were doing,” Edna said. “They explained everything they were going to do before they did it.”
Edna is quick to say that renal ablation isn’t a magic cure and that she still must make an effort to eat well, get some exercise and live a healthy life. “But,” she said cheerfully, “I’m feeling pretty good for an old lady!”
Heart care in Denver
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