Predictors of long-term beneficial effects on blood pressure after percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty in atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis.

Aim: This retrospective study evaluated long-term effects of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) in atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS), and predictors of benefit on blood pressure (BP).

Methods: During 1997-2003, 234 patients (age 69+/-11 years, 138 [59%] males) underwent PTRA for ARAS at Malmö Vascular Centre. Cure was defined as diastolic (D)BP<90 mmHg and systolic (S)BP <140 mmHg off antihypertensive medication. Improvement was defined as DBP <90 mmHg and/or SBP <140 mmHg on the same or reduced number of medications, or reduction in DBP of >or=15 mmHg with the same or reduced number of medications. Benefit was defined as cure or improvement.

Results: After PTRA, SBP and DBP decreased (P<0.001), and remained lower (P<0.001) until last follow-up after 4.1+/-3.3 years. Antihypertensive medication decreased (P<0.001), and remained lower at one month (P<0.001), one year (P<0.01), and last follow-up (P<0.05). Renal function was unchanged until last follow-up, when it deteriorated (P<0.001). Patients showing benefit of PTRA on BP at last follow-up (N.=150 [64%]) used more antihypertensive drugs before PTRA (P=0.012), especially angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) (P=0.010), and diuretics (P=0.015). In logistic regression, use of ACEi or ARBs failed to reach significancy (P=0.054). Patients dying during follow up (N.=100 [43%]) showed higher age (P<0.0001) and s-creatinine (P<0.0001), lower glomerular filtration rate (P<0.0001), and higher frequency of diabetes mellitus (P<0.005). In logistic regression only age (P=0.009) and diabetes mellitus (P=0.014) predicted mortality.

Conclusions: We confirmed beneficial effects on BP with PTRA in ARAS. ACEi, ARB and diuretic treatment before PTRA predict favourable long-term BP-response in univariate analysis.