PREDICTORS OF CURE OF HYPERTENSION IN FIBROMUSCULAR RENOVASCULAR DISEASE

Patients with fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) and hypertension are frequ ently treated with percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA), Because the goal of this procedure is the cure of hypertension, we re viewed the outcomes of 23 consecutive patients undergoing this procedu re to determine factors associated with cure, Twelve (52.2%) of the pa tients were taking no antihypertensive medications at 6 months and wer e classified as cured, Using logistic regression, we found three varia bles to be independently associated with cure: level of systolic blood pressure before intervention (P = 0.02), duration of hypertension (P = 0.03), and age (P = 0.03). Younger patients with milder hypertension of a shorter duration were most likely to be cured. Analysis of the r egression equation predicts that some patients with an extremely low c hance of cure might be managed with a trial of medical therapy, becaus e FMD is unlikely to progress to renal failure. (C) 1996 by the Nation al Kidney Foundation, Inc.