High blood pressure has become a serious health problem in India. Around 20 crore adults have it, but only about 2 crore people manage to keep it under control and doctors say that resistant hypertension, where blood pressure stays high even after taking medicines, is increasing. New treatments like renal denervation (RDN) are showing promise and giving hope to people who struggle to control their blood pressure.
Why Hypertension is Worrying
Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) shows that hypertension affects between 16% and 25% of people in different states. Urban areas have more patients whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled. In Delhi, around 28% of people have high blood pressure. About 5–10% of patients in India have resistant hypertension. This means their blood pressure stays at 150 mmHg or higher even after changing lifestyle habits and taking three or more blood pressure medicines.
What is Resistant Hypertension?
Resistant hypertension develops slowly. People may feel frequent headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, or chest discomfort but over time, high blood pressure strains the heart, kidneys, and other organs. Studies show that lowering systolic blood pressure by just 10 mmHg can reduce the risk of heart disease by 20% and stroke by 27% also controlling blood pressure improves heart and overall health significantly.
Renal Denervation: A New Treatment
Renal Denervation is a minimally invasive procedure that targets overactive nerve signals between the brain and kidneys. Dr. Praveen Chandra from Medanta says RDN can lower and stabilize blood pressure over time. Patients often see a 25% drop in blood pressure and can reduce the number of medicines they take from five to just over three. This makes it easier to manage side effects and stick to treatment.
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High Blood Pressure and Kidney Problems
High blood pressure and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are closely connected. Shyam Bansal of Medanta explains that uncontrolled blood pressure can make kidney function worse quickly. Treatments like RDN can help stabilize blood pressure, reduce the number of medicines needed, and improve life quality. Studies show that benefits last for more than three years, even for people with diabetes or other health issues.
Results and Benefits of RDN
Patients who underwent RDN saw systolic blood pressure drop by 40–45 mmHg and diastolic by 15–20 mmHg. People with stroke or kidney disease maintained stable kidney function for 9–12 months. Even a 10 mmHg drop in systolic BP lowers the risk of stroke by 27%, heart failure by 28%, and coronary artery disease by 17% and many patients started with an average BP of 186/99 mmHg and experienced almost a 50 mmHg drop at discharge, with improvements continuing over months.
Why This Matters
Uncontrolled hypertension increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, hospital visits, and healthcare costs while new treatments like renal denervation help patients rely on fewer medicines, visit hospitals less often, and live healthier, more active lives.
