Anxiety, depression, quality of life and stress in patients with resistant hypertension before and after catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation

AIMS: This study analysed quality of life (QoL), anxiety and depression, headache and stress tolerance in patients with resistant hypertension before and after renal denervation (RDN). METHODS AND RESULTS: RDN was performed in 119 patients (age 62 ± 11 years, 55% male) with resistant hypertension (office blood pressure [BP] 165/91 ± 22/15 mmHg), treated with 5.7 ± 0.2 antihypertensive drugs. At baseline, at three and at six months after RDN, psychological status, intensity of headache and stress tolerance were documented. Stress was induced by a multitasking situation (Wiener Determination Task [DT]). Depression and anxiety (hospital anxiety and depression scale) and QoL (short form-12 health survey) were investigated. Intensity of headache was measured by visual analogous scale. Systolic and diastolic BP decreased by -20 ± 2.4 and -10 ± 1.4 mmHg, respectively, six months after RDN (p<0.0001). Patients showed more correct reactions (p<0.0001), fewer errors (p<0.05) and reacted faster (p<0.001) in the DT. Patients reported an improvement in QoL (p<0.05). Furthermore, anxiety (p<0.0001) and depression (p<0.0001) scores decreased. Intensity of headache decreased after RDN (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: RDN is associated with reduced anxiety and depression, intensity of headache and with improved QoL and stress tolerance in patients with resistant hypertension.