Refractory arterial hypertension: hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, kidney and approaches to antihypertensive drug therapy

Improving blood pressure (BP) control and reducing the risk of developing unfavorable cardiovascular and renal outcomes in patients with refractory hypertension (HTN) is an urgent problem of cardiology. According to clinical studies, patients with refractory HTN receiving intensive diuretic therapy with chlorthalidone and a mineralcorticoid receptor antagonist differ from patients with refractory HTN by a higher sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity. Overactivity of sympathetic nerves may be one of the key pathogenetic factors that is involved in the kidney in the formation of refractory HTN, exerting a direct stimulating effect on the type 3 Na+ / H+ exchanger (NHE3) and type 2 sodium glucose cotransporter (SGLT2), which are involved in BP control by mechanism of pressure natriuresis. The review presents data on the peculiarities of sympathetic regulation of sodium tubular transport and the results of studies devoted the elucidating in the patients with resistant and refractory HTN the clinical efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors glyflozins, sympatholytic reserpine and brain aminopeptidase A inhibitor firibastat, which suppresses the activity of central structures of SNS.