BALTIMORE, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — A substance secreted by
the heart that is associated with congestive heart failure and
renal failure is not predictive of reduction in systolic blood
pressure in patients treated with renal artery stenting, according
to results from the HERCULES trial presented as a Late-Breaking
Clinical Trial at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and
Interventions (SCAI) 2011 Scientific Sessions in Baltimore.
The HERCULES trial is a prospective, multicenter trial of renal
stenting in patients who have blockages to their renal arteries,
which can worsen hypertension and threaten kidney function. The
study reviewed outcomes for 202 patients (241 lesions) with
uncontrolled hypertension who were treated with a renal artery
stent between August 2007 and October 2009. The primary endpoint
was 9-month restenosis rate and the secondary endpoints included
changes in blood pressure, anti-hypertensive medications, renal
function and the predictive value of brain natriuretic peptide
(BNP).
The primary endpoint of the study was met, with a 9-month
restenosis rate of 10.5 percent (p<0.0001), which was
significantly lower than the performance goal of 28.6 percent.
Results for the secondary endpoints showed systolic blood pressure
(SBP) decreased significantly after stenting with no change in
medication requirements, but mean BNP levels remained elevated
after one month. The study found no evidence of a correlation
between elevated pre-treatment BNP levels and SBP reduction at
follow-up. Researchers measured BNP prior to treatment, at 24
hours and 30 days.
“The clinical results are promising, as we found very low
restenosis rates and a significant drop in blood pressure following
renal artery stenting,” said Michael R. Jaff, D.O., medical
director of the Vascular Center at Massachusetts General Hospital
in Boston. “One goal of the study was to identify a means to
predict which patients will have the best outco
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