Renal Denervation Might Provide Additional Benefit in AF Ablation

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently also have hypertension. In nonrandomized trials, control of blood pressure (BP) seems to have decreased AF recurrences after ablation, but this was not seen in a recent randomized, controlled trial (RCT). Renal denervation to treat hypertension is a hot topic; although multiple small trials have shown a benefit, the large sham-controlled RCT Symplicity HTN-3 had negative results (NEJM JW Cardiol May 2014 and N Engl J Med 2014; 370:1393). Now, researchers in a multicenter, investigator-initiated, non–industry-funded RCT assess whether renal denervation improves outcomes of AF ablation (ERADICATE-AF; NCT01873352).

The 302 patients with paroxysmal AF and hypertension that was not optimally contr…