The kidney is a richly innervated organ and has both efferent and afferent nerves. Renal sympathetic nerve activity can modulate central sympathetic outflow and thus sympathetic nerve activity at the whole body level. Enhanced sympathetic nerve activity has been demonstrated in hypertension. Renal denervation, which decreases sympathetic nerve activity, has been hypothesised to decrease blood pressure. A large number of clinical studies have shown that renal denervation lowers blood pressure. However, the recent sham-controlled and blinded Symplicity HTN-3 trial showed that renal denervation did not lower blood pressure compared with the sham control. Therefore, the effect of renal denervation on blood pressure is controversial, and more research needs to be conducted to investigate the effect of renal denervation on hypertension. For example, how to verify the completeness of renal denervation, which group of patients are most likely to benefit from this treatment, and how to ensure drug adherence. In addition, long-term safety of renal denervation is unknown.
Renal denervation is also suggested to have beneficial effects on non-hypertension indications where sympathetic nerve activity is increased. These diseases include diabetes, obesity, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, sleep apnea, and renal failure.
The aim of this research topic forum is to investigate the effect of renal sympathetic nerve activity on hypertension and non-hypertension indications. We welcome original articles (both pre-clinical and clinical), methods, review papers, perspective, hypothesis and opinion papers that highlight recent findings on this research topic. These papers are expected to stimulate future research to better understand the effect of renal sympathetic nerves.
The kidney is a richly innervated organ and has both efferent and afferent nerves. Renal sympathetic nerve activity can modulate central sympathetic outflow and thus sympathetic nerve activity at the whole body level. Enhanced sympathetic nerve activity has been demonstrated in hypertension. Renal denervation, which decreases sympathetic nerve activity, has been hypothesised to decrease blood pressure. A large number of clinical studies have shown that renal denervation lowers blood pressure. However, the recent sham-controlled and blinded Symplicity HTN-3 trial showed that renal denervation did not lower blood pressure compared with the sham control. Therefore, the effect of renal denervation on blood pressure is controversial, and more research needs to be conducted to investigate the effect of renal denervation on hypertension. For example, how to verify the completeness of renal denervation, which group of patients are most likely to benefit from this treatment, and how to ensure drug adherence. In addition, long-term safety of renal denervation is unknown.
Renal denervation is also suggested to have beneficial effects on non-hypertension indications where sympathetic nerve activity is increased. These diseases include diabetes, obesity, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, sleep apnea, and renal failure.
The aim of this research topic forum is to investigate the effect of renal sympathetic nerve activity on hypertension and non-hypertension indications. We welcome original articles (both pre-clinical and clinical), methods, review papers, perspective, hypothesis and opinion papers that highlight recent findings on this research topic. These papers are expected to stimulate future research to better understand the effect of renal sympathetic nerves.
