Background: SYMPLICITY HTN-Japan is a prospective, randomized, controlled trial comparing renal denervation (RDN) with standard pharmacologic therapy for treatment of uncontrolled hypertension (HTN). Methods and Results: Patients enrolled had uncontrolled HTN, defined as office systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥160 mmHg and 24-h ambulatory SBP ≥135 mmHg, on ≥3 antihypertensive drugs of maximally tolerated dose for at least 6 weeks prior to enrollment. Randomization was 1:1 to RDN or maintenance of current medical therapy (control). Patients were followed every 6 months post-randomization for up to 36 months. There were 22 patients randomized to RDN and 19 to control, and 11 patients were crossed over and received RDN at 6 months post-randomization. For the RDN group (n=22), office SBP reduction was -32.8±20.1 mmHg and office DBP reduction was -15.8±12.6 mmHg at 36 months post-procedure, both P<0.001. For the combined RDN and crossover group (n=33), office SBP reduction was -26.7±18.9 mmHg and office DBP reduction was -12.7±11.8 mmHg at 30 months post-procedure, both P<0.001. There were no procedural-, device- or treatment-related safety events through 36 months.
Conclusions: SYMPLICITY HTN-Japan is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate RDN in an Asian population. Despite the small number of enrollments, results show patients who received RDN therapy maintained SBP reduction out to 36 months.
Keywords: Ambulatory blood pressure; Asia; Renal denervation; Resistant hypertension.