Conquering High Blood Pressure With A New Breakthrough
Treating hypertension through a novel minimally invasive procedure
PULSE Issue 43 | July 2024
Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is often dubbed a “silent killer” due to the lack of symptoms or warning signs, and poses significant risks to vital organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys. Left untreated, it can lead to life-threatening health conditions such as stroke and heart failure. Conventional treatment methods include medication and lifestyle changes such as reducing dietary sodium intake, maintaining a balanced diet, controlling one’s weight, quitting smoking, and engaging in regular physical activities. Yet, despite these measures, high blood pressure can resist conventional treatments and remain hard to overcome. About 35% of hypertensive patients on medication still struggle to achieve their ideal blood pressure range of under 130/80 mmHG.
Finding the Cause of High Blood Pressure
Our body controls blood pressure through many ways. Did you know that apart from the heart and blood vessels, our kidneys are also involved in controlling our body’s blood pressure? In some people, the nerves connected to the kidneys experience excessive activity that interrupts the natural process of blood pressure control, leading to higher blood pressure.
A Game Changer in High Blood Pressure Management
Opening new doors in blood pressure control, a minimally-invasive procedure known as “Renal Denervation (RDN)” has been clinically proven to treat persistent high blood pressure in patients via a safe and effective method, by calming the excessively active nerves in the kidney to help keep blood pressure under control.
Led by Prof Tan Huay Cheem, Senior Advisor, NUHCS, alongside Dr Christopher Koo, Consultant, Department of Cardiology, NUHCS, their dedicated team performed the first renal denervation treatment therapy at NUHCS on 23 January 2024. This minimally-invasive procedure uses a specialised catheter device1 to deliver radioactive frequency that disrupts overactive nerve signals sent from the arteries in the kidneys to the heart, brain and blood vessels, thus restoring the body’s natural blood pressure.
This promising treatment has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of hypertension, as well as earned consensus from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) as a treatment option for those with resistant high blood pressure, also known as treatment resistant hypertension. Suitable for a wide range of patients who may or may not be on blood pressure medication, it is especially beneficial for those who cannot tolerate medication due to side effects or compliance issues.
As Singapore faces an ageing population and rising comorbidities
2, NUHCS is at the forefront of adopting new treatment methods like RDN to manage high blood pressure, a common comorbid condition and major risk factor for heart disease. Signalling a significant advancement in cardiovascular care, this new treatment method offers new hope for patients and their doctors in the management of a key risk factor of heart disease that has long been challenging to manage.
1. Catheter device: A long, thin, flexible tube placed in the body to facilitate a surgical procedure.
2. Comorbidities: Co-existing medical conditions that affect one’s treatment and outlook.
