Renal Denervation: a Field in Flux.

SYMPLICITY HTN-3 was a pivotal moment for renal denervation as a treatment option for resistant hypertension. Prior unblinded studies were called into question given the negative results of the first sham-controlled trial of renal denervation. Reevaluation of the renal denervation procedure demonstrated that a more precise approach was needed to adequately denervate the kidney. This new approach has been implemented in two ongoing clinical trials, one on and one off medications to assess the new procedure's efficacy and safety. These and other ongoing trials will be discussed in the context of older studies in this field. We focus on novel findings published following the release of SYMPLICITY HTN-3 data in early 2014 and look to the future of renal denervation in the treatment of primary hypertension.