Impact of Renal Artery Stent Implantation on Hypertension in Patients with Hemodialysis

The benefit from renal artery stent implantation to treat atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is not well understood in hemodialysis patients. We sought to evaluate the effects of renal artery stenting on hypertension of hemodialysis patients. Renal artery stent implantation was successfully performed on eight hypertensive hemodialysis patients with ARAS (mean ± SD, 66 ± 10 years; men 6, women 2). Blood pressure was measured by automated oscillometric recordings just before hemodialysis. Mean values of the blood pressure, measured 12 times a month, were used for blood pressure analysis. Values of systolic blood pressure decreased at 6 months after renal artery stent implantation (162.6 ± 29.7 to 121.1 ± 23.3 mm Hg, p = 0.0015). Values of diastolic blood pressure also decreased from 77.6 ± 13.6 to 65.6 ± 7.2 mm Hg (p = 0.02). Renal artery stent implantation for ARAS had a beneficial effect on hypertension in hemodialysis patients.