Renal denervation in treatment-resistant essential hypertension. A randomized, SHAM-controlled, double-blinded 24-h blood pressure-based trial.

Background: Renal denervation (RDN), treating resistant hypertension, has, in open trial design, been shown to lower blood pressure (BP) dramatically, but this was primarily with respect to office BP.

Method: We conducted a SHAM-controlled, double-blind, randomized, single-center trial to establish efficacy data based on 24-h ambulatory BP measurements (ABPM). Inclusion criteria were daytime systolic ABPM at least 145 mmHg following 1 month of stable medication and 2 weeks of compliance registration.

[Research in regional hospitals in two Danish regions].

The quantity of interest, experience, and barriers to research in non-university hospitals in Denmark is undocumented. Therefore, a questionnaire was distributed to all employees at non-university hospitals in two Danish regions. The results showed that a substantial number of medical doctors were engaged in ongoing research.

[Research at regional hospitals in Denmark can be reinforced].

We examined the conditions for health research at regional hospitals in Denmark. The study was conducted as an interview-based case study containing interviews with key persons at the governing level as well as medical doctors at the operating level. The results showed that the settings and opportunities regarding health research vary between university hospitals and non-university regional hospitals.

Catheter-based renal denervation for treatment of resistant hypertension.

Introduction: Activation of renal sympathetic nerves is associated with the development of hypertension. Catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation with radiofrequency energy ablation is a new promising treatment option for resistant hypertension. We here report the first Danish experiences and results with this technique.

A substantial number of scientific publications originate from non-university hospitals.

Introduction: As we found no recent published reports on the amount and kind of research published from Danish hospitals without university affiliation, we have found it relevant to conduct a bibliometric survey disclosing these research activities.

Material And Methods: We retrieved all scientific papers published in the period 2000-2009 emanating from all seven Danish non-university hospitals in two regions, comprising 1.8 million inhabitants, and which were registered in a minimum of one of the three databases: PubMed MEDLINE, Thomson Reuters Web of Science and Elsevier's Scopus.

Long-term safety and tolerability of the oral direct renin inhibitor aliskiren with optional add-on hydrochlorothiazide in patients with hypertension: a randomized, open-label, parallel-group, multicentre, dose-escalation study with an extension phase.

Background: Most patients with hypertension will require combination therapy with at least two agents from different antihypertensive classes to achieve blood pressure (BP) control. Thiazide diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), are widely used in combination therapy. The volume reduction with these agents stimulates the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), making RAS inhibitors such as the direct renin inhibitor aliskiren a logical choice for combination therapy with HCTZ.

[The effect of calcium channel blockers for hypertension--a survey of a Cochrane review].

The Cochrane analysis comprises data from 18 trials with a total of 140,000 patients. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) were superior to beta-blockers on stroke reduction. CCBs were also superior to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on stroke reduction, most likely explained by differences in achieved blood pressure.

[A survey of research funding at Danish regional hospitals].

Introduction: According to recently passed Danish legislation, all Danish hospitals are obliged to take part in scientific research. As data on financial support for research activities are lacking, we assessed the resources allocated to research from the budget of the central hospital management as a percentage of the total budget at Danish regional hospitals in 2007.

Material And Methods: A postal survey was conducted at 13 hospitals in the Western part of Denmark.

Small artery structure is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events in essential hypertension.

Objective: Structural abnormality of resistance arteries is a characteristic pathophysiological phenomenon in essential hypertension and can be assessed in vitro as an increase in the media: lumen ratio (M: L) of isolated small arteries. We have investigated whether M: L is a risk predictor in uncomplicated essential hypertensive patients. Recently, high M: L was demonstrated as a prognostic marker in patients at high cardiovascular risk, including normotensive type 2 diabetic patients.