A practical guide to identifying the right patients, understanding the procedure, and supporting long-term hypertension management.
Hypertension remains one of the leading risk factors for heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. Yet despite the availability of effective medications, millions of patients continue to have uncontrolled blood pressure.
For patients who struggle to reach target blood pressure—or who have difficulty adhering to multiple medications—renal denervation (RDN) is emerging as an important new treatment option.
Approved by the FDA in 2023, renal denervation is a minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure designed to reduce overactive sympathetic nerve signaling around the kidneys, resulting in sustained blood pressure reduction. It offers physicians another tool for treating patients whose hypertension remains difficult to control despite lifestyle changes and medication.
Why Renal Denervation Matters
Nearly half of U.S. adults have hypertension, yet blood pressure control remains a significant clinical challenge. Even patients prescribed multiple medications often struggle with adherence, side effects, or persistently elevated blood pressure.
Renal denervation doesn’t replace lifestyle modification or medication—but it provides an additional therapy that can help reduce cardiovascular risk in appropriately selected patients. Clinical studies have demonstrated durable blood pressure reductions comparable to adding another antihypertensive medication, without requiring a permanent implant.
Which Patients May Benefit?
Renal denervation may be considered for patients who:
- Have uncontrolled or resistant hypertension
- Continue to have elevated blood pressure despite multiple medications
- Experience medication intolerance or adherence challenges
- Are appropriate candidates after evaluation by a hypertension specialist
Patient selection remains critical. Providers should first evaluate for secondary causes of hypertension and confirm that renal anatomy is suitable for the procedure.
A Growing Opportunity for Cardiology Practices
As renal denervation becomes more widely available, cardiology practices have an opportunity to expand treatment options while improving long-term hypertension management.
Successful programs require more than the procedure itself. Long-term outcomes depend on:
- Ongoing blood pressure monitoring
- Medication optimization
- Patient engagement
- Lifestyle coaching
- Consistent follow-up between office visits
Remote care programs—including Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Chronic Care Management (CCM)—can help practices maintain visibility into patients’ blood pressure trends after intervention while supporting medication adherence and clinical decision-making.
Download the Renal Denervation Quick Guide
Whether you’re evaluating renal denervation for the first time or expanding an existing hypertension program, our quick reference guide provides an easy-to-share overview for clinicians.
Inside you’ll find:
- How renal denervation works
- Patient selection considerations
- Benefits and limitations
- Clinical workflow overview
- Key questions to discuss with patients
👉 Download the Renal Denervation: Expanding Access to Advanced Cardiac Care Quick Guide today.
