Effects of Renal Denervation vs Sham in Resistant Hypertension After Medication Escalation: Prespecified Analysis at 6 Months of the RADIANCE-HTN TRIO Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Although early trials of endovascular renal denervation (RDN) for patients with resistant hypertension (RHTN) reported inconsistent results, ultrasound RDN (uRDN) was found to decrease blood pressure (BP) vs sham at 2 months in patients with RHTN taking stable background medications in the Study of the ReCor Medical Paradise System in Clinical Hypertension (RADIANCE-HTN TRIO) trial.

Objectives

To report the prespecified analysis of the persistence of the BP effects and safety of uRDN vs sham at 6 months in conjunction with escalating antihypertensive medications.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This randomized, sham-controlled, clinical trial with outcome assessors and patients blinded to treatment assignment, enrolled patients from March 11, 2016, to March 13, 2020. This was an international, multicenter study conducted in the US and Europe. Participants with daytime ambulatory BP of 135/85 mm Hg or higher after 4 weeks of single-pill triple-combination treatment (angiotensin-receptor blocker, calcium channel blocker, and thiazide diuretic) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 40 mL/min/1.73 m2 or greater were randomly assigned to uRDN or sham with medications unchanged through 2 months. From 2 to 5 months, if monthly home BP was 135/85 mm Hg or higher, standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment starting with aldosterone antagonists was initiated under blinding to treatment assignment.

Interventions

uRDN vs sham procedure in conjunction with added medications to target BP control.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Six-month change in medications, change in daytime ambulatory systolic BP, change in home systolic BP adjusted for baseline BP and medications, and safety.

Results

A total of 65 of 69 participants in the uRDN group and 64 of 67 participants in the sham group (mean [SD] age, 52.4 [8.3] years; 104 male [80.6%]) with a mean (SD) eGFR of 81.5 (22.8) mL/min/1.73 m2 had 6-month daytime ambulatory BP measurements. Fewer medications were added in the uRDN group (mean [SD], 0.7 [1.0] medications) vs sham (mean [SD], 1.1 [1.1] medications; P = .045) and fewer patients in the uRDN group received aldosterone antagonists at 6 months (26 of 65 [40.0%] vs 39 of 64 [60.9%]; P = .02). Despite less intensive standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment, mean (SD) daytime ambulatory BP at 6 months was 138.3 (15.1) mm Hg with uRDN vs 139.0 (14.3) mm Hg with sham (additional decreases of -2.4 [16.6] vs -7.0 [16.7] mm Hg from month 2, respectively), whereas home SBP was lowered to a greater extent with uRDN by 4.3 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.5-8.1 mm Hg; P = .03) in a mixed model adjusting for baseline and number of medications. Adverse events were infrequent and similar between groups.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, in patients with RHTN initially randomly assigned to uRDN or a sham procedure and who had persistent elevation of BP at 2 months after the procedure, standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment escalation resulted in similar BP reduction in both groups at 6 months, with fewer additional medications required in the uRDN group.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02649426.

Six-Month Results of Treatment-Blinded Medication Titration for Hypertension Control After Randomization to Endovascular Ultrasound Renal Denervation or a Sham Procedure in the RADIANCE-HTN SOLO Trial

BACKGROUND

The multicenter, international, randomized, blinded, sham-controlled RADIANCE-HTN SOLO trial (A Study of the ReCor Medical Paradise System in Clinical Hypertension) demonstrated a 6.3 mm Hg greater reduction in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure (BP) at 2 months by endovascular ultrasound renal denervation (RDN) compared with a sham procedure among patients not treated with antihypertensive medications. We report 6-month results after the addition of a recommended standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment to the randomized endovascular procedure under continued blinding to initial treatment.

METHODS

Patients with a daytime ambulatory BP ≥135/85 mm Hg and <170/105 mm Hg after a 4-week discontinuation of up to 2 antihypertensive medications, and a suitable renal artery anatomy, were randomized to RDN (n=74) or sham (n=72). Patients were to remain off antihypertensive medications throughout the first 2 months of follow-up unless safety BP criteria were exceeded. Between 2 and 5 months, if monthly measured home BP was ≥135/85 mm Hg, a standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment was recommended consisting of the sequential addition of amlodipine (5 mg/d), a standard dose of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker, and hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg/d), followed by the sequential uptitration of hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg/d) and amlodipine (10 mg/d). Outcomes included the 6-month (1) change in daytime ambulatory systolic BP adjusted for medications and baseline systolic BP, (2) medication burden, and (3) safety.

RESULTS

A total of 69/74 RDN patients and 71/72 sham patients completed the 6-month ambulatory BP measurement. At 6 months, 65.2% of patients in the RDN group were treated with the standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment versus 84.5% in the sham group (P=0.008), and the average number of antihypertensive medications and defined daily dose were less in the RDN group than in the sham group (0.9±0.9 versus 1.3±0.9, P=0.010 and 1.4±1.5 versus 2.0±1.8, P=0.018; respectively). Despite less intensive standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment, RDN reduced daytime ambulatory systolic BP to a greater extent than sham (-18.1±12.2 versus -15.6±13.2 mm Hg, respectively; difference adjusted for baseline BP and number of medications: -4.3 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval, -7.9 to -0.6, P=0.024). There were no major adverse events in either group through 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The BP-lowering effect of endovascular ultrasound RDN was maintained at 6 months with less prescribed antihypertensive medications compared with a sham control.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov. Unique identifier: NCT02649426.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) outcomes can improve after further training for an individual already experienced in ERCP

This study was carried out to assess the impact of therapeutic endoscopy training on the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) practice of a physician who was practicing ERCP for many years in a community setting in the United States. A retrospective chart review of 390 ERCPs performed by the physician was accomplished; 176 and 214 ERCPs were performed before and after undergoing therapeutic endoscopy training respectively. Rates of common bile duct cannulation; postprocedure pancreatitis; use of common bile duct and pancreatic stents, as well as frequency of biliary and pancreatic sphincterotomies were assessed. The rate of common bile duct cannulation increased from 87% to 96% (P=0.008), while post-ERCP pancreatitis decreased from 8% to 3% (P=0.056), demonstrating that further guided experience in ERCP improved technical competency and decreased complications of ERCP for a physician already performing ERCPs independently in the USA.

Cerebral thromboembolism: value of susceptibility-weighted imaging in the initial diagnosis of acute infarction

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is commonly used to diagnose cerebral hemorrhage, calcification, and other T2* lesions. Its role in the detection of cerebral thromboemboli has been suggested for emboli of the anterior division of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The purpose of our study was to determine SWI's accuracy and sensitivity in detection of all sites of cerebral thromboemboli, not just MCA emboli. Two neuroradiologists retrospectively reviewed consecutive MRI brain examinations with SWI for cerebral thromboemboli in 100 patients with clinical suspicion for stroke determined by the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. FLAIR, MRA, CT, and catheter angiography were reviewed for thromboemboli in the same patients. Thromboembolic sites included: the internal carotid artery (ICA) terminus, anterior MCA, posterior MCA, any other cerebral artery, or if not present. The exclusion criteria included: no magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) or catheter angiogram for comparison, lack of restricted diffusion, lacunar infarcts, and the presence of massive hemorrhage. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of each imaging modality were determined. Twenty-four patients were excluded based on the aforementioned criteria. Cerebral thromboemboli were identified in 35 of the remaining 76 patients. Of the 35 patients with thromboemboli, 30 were identified on SWI. FLAIR detected 22/35 emboli, MRA 30/33, CT 18/35, and catheter angiography 12/12. The accuracies for SWI, FLAIR, and CT were 97%, 84%, and 74%, respectively. The sensitivities for SWI, FLAIR, and CT were 85%, 61%, and 52%, respectively. The specificities for SWI, FLAIR, and CT were 100%, 98%, and 93%, respectively. There is an adjunctive role of SWI to identify cerebral thromboemboli in patients with acute infarction. SWI is superior to FLAIR and CT, and complementary to MRA and catheter angiography in emboli detection. This study supports SWI detection of MCA emboli, but also emphasizes its utility in emboli detection of other arteries based on a high accuracy and sensitivity.

Recording of pacing stimulus artifacts by endovascular defibrillation lead systems: comparison of true and integrated bipolar circuits

BACKGROUND

The occurrence ICD undersensing of ventricular fibrillation due to the presence of a pacing stimulus artifact (PSA) is in part related to the amplitude of the artifact recorded on the ICD rate sensing circuit. There is little comparative data regarding PSA amplitude recorded by commercial ICD rate-sensing circuits.

PURPOSE

To compare PSA amplitude recorded by commercial endovascular defibrillation leads utilizing integrated or true bipolar sensing circuits.

METHODS

Nineteen large (60-120 kg) pigs were utilized. Two different commercial endovascular defibrillation leads were evaluated, each with its distal tip located at the right ventricular apex: (1) Medtronic Transvene; and (2) CPI Endotak. Three different rate-sensing circuits were evaluated: (1) Transvene true bipolar (tip-ring); (2) Transvene integrated bipolar (tip-coil); and (3) Endotak integrated bipolar (tip-coil). Using a separate pacing lead located at the left ventricular apex (n = 19 animals) or right ventricular outflow tract (n = 10 animals), pacing was performed at a pulse width of 0.5 milliseconds at outputs of 1.5, 5 and 10 volts. PSA amplitude was recorded at each output by each circuit.

RESULTS

During pacing from the left ventricular apex, at each pacing output voltage the PSA amplitude recorded by the true bipolar circuit (0.6 +/- 0.1 mV at 1.5 volts, 2.0 +/- 0.5 mV at 5 volts, 3.7 +/- 0.8 mV at 10 volts) was significantly smaller than recorded by the Transvene integrated circuit (1.4 +/- 0.3 mV at 1.5 volts, 3.8 +/- 0.7 mV at 5 volts, 4.1 +/- 0.8 mV at 10 volts) or the Endotak integrated circuit (1.8 +/- 0.4 mV at 1.5 volts, 4.2 +/- 1.0 mV at 5 volts, 6.3 +/- 1.8 mV at 10 volts). During pacing from the right ventricular outflow tract, at each pacing output voltage the PSA amplitude recorded by the true bipolar circuit (0.7 +/- 0.1 mV at 1.5 volts, 1.7 +/- 0.4 mV at 5 volts, 4.0 +/- 0.7 mV at 10 volts) was significantly smaller than recorded by the Transvene integrated circuit (1.1 +/- 0.4 mV at 1.5 volts, 3.9 +/- 1.2 mV at 5 volts, 7.5 +/- 1.8 mV at 10 volts) or the Endotak integrated circuit (1.6 +/- 0.7 mV at 1.5 volts, 4.3 +/- 1.7 mV at 5 volts, 7.5 +/- 2.6 mV at 10 volts). For both pacing sites, the PSA amplitude recorded by the two integrated circuits was not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS

For a given pacing output voltage, PSA amplitude recorded by commercial endovascular rate sensing/defibrillation leads is greater when the sensing circuit is integrated than when it is true bipolar. These data may be helpful in planning ICD implantation in patients with previously implanted permanent pacemakers.

Are the associations between Alzheimer's disease and polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein E and the apolipoprotein CII genes due to linkage disequilibrium?

Allele frequencies for polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein E and the apolipoprotein CII genes were determined in subjects of Ashkenazi Jewish origin with late-onset Alzheimer's disease and in unaffected control subjects from the same ethnic group. A significant association was observed between late-onset Alzheimer's disease and the epsilon 4 (112Cys-->Arg) allele of apolipoprotein E; however, no association was detected with apolipoprotein CII. These results suggest that the association with epsilon 4 is probably not due to linkage disequilibrium.

Potassium channel blockers potentiate impulse inhibition by local anesthetics

The ability of local anesthetics to reduce the amplitude of compound action potentials (CAP) of frog sciatic nerve was examined in the absence and presence of agents that selectively block K+ channels. In the presence of lidocaine concentrations that inhibit the CAP by about 20% at low frequencies of stimulation (1 per min, "tonic inhibition"), the addition of the K(+)-channel blocker tetraethylammonium ion (TEA, 12 mM) increased this inhibition by another 15%. Furthermore, the use-dependent inhibition induced by lidocaine at higher stimulation frequencies (5-20 Hz, "phasic inhibition") was markedly enhanced by TEA: at 20 Hz it increased from 35% with lidocaine alone to 63% with lidocaine plus TEA. A comparable potentiation was rendered by 3,4-diaminopyridine (1 mM), a different K(+)-channel blocker. Similarly, phasic inhibition by bupivacaine also was enhanced by TEA. The K(+)-channel blockers alone slightly depolarized the resting membrane, broadened and elevated the CAP, produced no phasic inhibition, and, during repetitive stimulation, resulted in a less negative steady-state repolarization potential than at rest. Both the broadening of CAP and the depolarizing actions of K(+)-channel blockers increased the presence of open and inactivated states of the neuronal Na+ channels, and thereby enhanced the binding of local anesthetic. The inhibitory actions of saxitoxin, a Na(+)-channel blocker that binds equally well to all channel states, were not potentiated by TEA.

Postmastectomy low-grade angiosarcoma. An unusual case clinically resembling a lymphangioma circumscriptum

A 90-year-old white woman developed a low-grade cutaneous angiosarcoma arising on a chronically lymphedematous extremity 15 years after a radical mastectomy for breast carcinoma. This neoplasm had the clinical appearance of lymphangioma circumscriptum and was characterized by an unusually benign course with a 3-year follow-up.

Absence of duplication of chromosome 21 genes in familial and sporadic Alzheimer's disease

The possibility that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by overexpression or duplication of one or more genes on chromosome 21 has been raised by the observation of AD-like neuropathologic changes in individuals with Down syndrome and by the mapping of both the defect for familial AD and the amyloid beta protein gene to this autosome. Possible duplication on chromosome 21 was investigated in both familial and sporadic AD by means of restriction fragment length polymorphisms for the amyloid and SODI loci, as well as for DNA markers in the vicinity of the familial AD defect and in the critical Down syndrome region of chromosome 21. No evidence of increased DNA dosage was observed in either brain or leukocytes of patients with inherited or sporadic forms of AD. Duplication of these regions is therefore not a frequent event in either form of AD. Furthermore, no significant allelic association was detected between AD and any of the loci, including the amyloid and SODI genes, providing no support for the hypothesis that defects in these specific genes are the primary cause of AD.

The genetic defect causing familial Alzheimer's disease maps on chromosome 21

Alzheimer's disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the elderly. Several families have been described in which Alzheimer's disease is caused by an autosomal dominant gene defect. The chromosomal location of this defective gene has been discovered by using genetic linkage to DNA markers on chromosome 21. The localization on chromosome 21 provides an explanation for the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in Down syndrome. Isolation and characterization of the gene at this locus may yield new insights into the nature of the defect causing familial Alzheimer's disease and possibly, into the etiology of all forms of Alzheimer's disease.

Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA Work Group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease

Clinical criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease include insidious onset and progressive impairment of memory and other cognitive functions. There are no motor, sensory, or coordination deficits early in the disease. The diagnosis cannot be determined by laboratory tests. These tests are important primarily in identifying other possible causes of dementia that must be excluded before the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease may be made with confidence. Neuropsychological tests provide confirmatory evidence of the diagnosis of dementia and help to assess the course and response to therapy. The criteria proposed are intended to serve as a guide for the diagnosis of probable, possible, and definite Alzheimer's disease; these criteria will be revised as more definitive information become available.

A method for the determination of drug effectiveness in onychomycosis. Trials with ketoconazole and griseofulvin ultramicrosize

A new method for assessing drug effectiveness in onychomycosis is presented. It is based on the clinical experience when three systemic antifungal drugs (griseofulvin, thiabendazole, and ketoconazole) are used against onychomycosis. These drugs act clinically as a barrier to the invasion of the fungus toward the proximal areas of the nail plate. A monthly quantity of normal nail plate should be produced by a given subject after the administration of an effective dose of the antifungal being tested. This quantity is best measured at monthly intervals, and this in fact reflects the normal monthly nail plate growth for the individual. Although there is a slight variation among individuals, most normal healthy subjects grow 1.5 to 2 mm of nail plate per month from their large toenails and 3 to 4 mm of nail plate per month from their fingernails. Utilizing this quantitative system, ketoconazole and griseofulvin ultramicrosize were compared in the treatment of distal subungual onychomycosis by Trichophyton rubrum. In a double-blind study, sixteen patients were treated. It appears that both griseofulvin and ketoconazole can eradicate the episode of onychomycosis. One-year use of a topical antifungal cream after clinical cure of onychomycosis prevented reinfection in the 12-month follow-up period. The use of ketoconazole in long-term therapy may result in serious side effects and should be considered carefully prior to treatment.

Psychiatric effects of alternate day steroid therapy

The prevalence of emotional disorder in a total of 72 patients suffering from myasthenia gravis of from peripheral neuromuscular disorders was assessed, using the General Health Questionnaire and Present State Examination. Approximately half the patients were being treated with an alternate day regime of prednisone, receiving high dosage one day and low the next. Emotional disorder was found to be less prevalent among these patients than among patients not on steroids. The significance of the finding is discussed.

A residential continuum for the chronically mentally ill: a Markov probability model

The movement of a group of chronically mentally ill clients among various facilities for residential care was described with a Markov probability model. The results of a goodness-of-fit test indicated that the model accurately captured the flow of clients among the state psychiatric hospital, the in-patient units, the community, and three types of group homes. The model was then used to answer several policy-relevant questions about the functioning of the continuum of residential care, such as how often vacancies can be expected to arise and how efficiently clients are progressing along the continuum.

Familial inverted choreoathetosis

We present a family with infantile onset of progressive choreoathetosis. The movements affected the legs predominantly and also impaired gait. No dementia, seizures, or rigidity was noted. Inheritance was autosomal dominant. This new familial movement disorder can be differentiated easily from other hereditary choreas.