Invasive treatment of resistant hypertension: present and future.

The underlying pathophysiologic concept of diverse invasive devices to treat resistant hypertension (e.g., sympathetic denervation, carotid sinus nerve stimulation) is known for a long time. Since the pioneering work in the 1940s in humans, innovative techniques have been developed resulting in less invasive treatment procedures and, hence, overcoming serious side effects, which in turn improved safety and lead to more widespread use. Recently, new experimental technologies have been or are under evaluation in experiments and first-in-man studies have been conducted. Data with interventional techniques are rapidly expanding and have to be interpreted with caution. Additional data from randomized potentially sham-controlled studies are urgently needed. This article focuses on the increasing work of different invasive approaches for the treatment of resistant hypertension.