Heart rate as marker of successful percutaneous renal denervation

228 Cardiovascular Medicine 2012;15(7–8):228–229 A 52-year-old man with long-standing resistant essential hypertension, inappropriate sinus tachycardia and known ischaemic heart disease was referred to our centre for percutaneous renal denervation. The arterial hypertension was treated for six years and multiple drug combinations (angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium antagonist, β-blockers, diuretics and spironolactone) were tried in the past. His current therapy included metoprolol succinate 200 mg/day, perindopril 5 mg/day, doxazosin mesylate 4 mg/day and ivabradine 7.5 mg twice a day. Diuretic treatment had been used but recently stopped due to patient intolerance. His baseline 24-hour recordings are depicted in figure 1, panel A, and showed a mean blood pressure of 137/96 mm Hg and a mean heart rate was 96 bpm. The procedure was performed in accordance with the manufacturer protocol, under general anaesthesia.