Refractory Hypertension: Evidence of Heightened Sympathetic Activity as a Cause of Antihypertensive Treatment Failure.

Tanja Dudenbostel and her team conducted a study focusing on refractory hypertension at the Birmingham Hypertension Clinic. Their findings revealed a prevalence of 2.7% for refractory hypertension within the resistant hypertensive population, indicating that antihypertensive treatment failure is relatively uncommon. When comparing those with controlled resistant hypertension, individuals with refractory hypertension exhibited elevated levels of urinary normetanephrine, heart rate, arterial stiffness, and systemic vascular resistance, suggesting heightened sympathetic tone as a potential underlying cause.