Frequently asked questions

Around the world, high blood pressure affects an estimated 1.28 billion adults.¹

Many factors increase your risk of developing high blood pressure.² 

Factors you can control

• Diet
• Exercise
• Smoking

Factors you can’t control

• Family history
• Race/ethnicity
• Age
• Gender
• Chronic conditions like diabetes and kidney disease

Symptoms (if they occur) can be mild or severe, including headaches, nosebleeds, and shortness of breath.¹ Symptoms of severe high blood pressure include severe chest pain, severe headache with confusion and blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, severe anxiety, and seizures.²

One of the things that makes high blood pressure dangerous is that it often has no warning signs — people can have it and not know it.¹ In people with high blood pressure, the heart works harder, which can raise the risk of heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and kidney failure.^2,3 These risks can be very serious — especially if high blood pressure is left untreated.

Like any medical management or procedure, the renal denervation blood pressure procedure has risks. Adverse events include, but are not limited to, bruising and pain. Individual results may vary. For more information, and to explore whether the renal denervation procedure might be suitable for you, speak to your doctor. Details about specific risks and contraindications can be found here.

The procedure is done in a hospital. Some people go home the same day and some stay overnight, depending on a doctor’s recommendation.

Every hospital has its own approach, but the procedure typically takes about an hour. Talk to your doctor for more information.

After sedation, the doctor makes a small incision and inserts a very thin tube (catheter) into the artery leading to the kidney. The doctor then uses the catheter to reduce the excessive activity of the nerves connected to the kidney. The tube is removed, leaving no implant behind.

Most people resume normal activities within a week following the procedure. The doctor who performs the procedure will provide individual guidance.

Yes. Continue taking all blood pressure (and other) medication as prescribed unless your doctor recommends a change.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle after your procedure can help reduce your blood pressure. That means getting your blood pressure checked, following your doctor’s advice, taking blood pressure (and other) medication as prescribed, and making healthy choices about diet, exercise, and smoking.

At your doctor’s discretion, you will have a follow-up appointment with the doctor who performed the procedure and the doctor who treats your high blood pressure.