Interventional treatment of hypertension: a new paradigm.

Hypertension is thought to contribute to more than 7 million deaths worldwide each year and contributes to the development of atherosclerotic lesions that lead to myocardial infarction and stroke. While lifestyle modifications (diet, exercise, weight loss) and pharmacotherapy have been proven to be effective in the treatment of hypertension, as many as half of patients have uncontrolled BP and remain at risk for elevated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The main physiologic targets for interventional treatment include alteration of blood flow to the kidney, activation of the carotid baroreflex system, and modification of the renal sympathetic nervous system. The results of prior studies and new studies of interventional treatments of resistant hypertension are covered in this review.