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Stress cardiomyopathy (SCM) is a syndrome characterized by transient regional systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle in the absence of angiographic evidence of coronaropathy. This abnormality is associated with high levels of catecholamines. Stress cardiomyopathy is also called Takotsubo (TS) cardiomyopathy. Pheochromocytoma crisis can occur spontaneously or can be precipitated by manipulation of the tumor, trauma, certain medications or stress for example during non-adrenal surgery. The main drugs leading to pheochromocytoma crisis include D2 dopamine receptor antagonists, noncardioselective β-adrenergic receptor blockers, tricyclic antidepressants and related neurotransmitter uptake blockers, sympathomimetics, certain peptide and steroid hormones and several agents used during induction of anesthesia. Patients can develop symptoms of heart failure associated with tachyarrhythmia, cardiogenic shock with hypotension and collapse, or apparent acute coronary syndromes. This review describes pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis criteria and management of SCM.

Summary Background Endovascular renal denervation reduces blood pressure in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension, but its efficacy in patients with true resistant hypertension has not been shown. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of endovascular ultrasound renal denervation in patients with hypertension resistant to three or more antihypertensive medications. Methods In a randomised, international, multicentre, single-blind, sham-controlled trial done at 28 tertiary centres in the USA and 25 in Europe, we included patients aged 18–75 years with office blood pressure of at least 140/90 mm Hg despite three or more antihypertensive medications including a diuretic. Eligible patients were switched to a once daily, fixed-dose, single-pill combination of a calcium channel blocker, an angiotensin receptor blocker, and a thiazide diuretic. After 4 weeks of standardised therapy, patients with daytime ambulatory blood pressure of at least 135/85 mm Hg were randomly assigned (1:1) by computer (stratified by centres) to ultrasound renal denervation or a sham procedure. Patients and outcome assessors were masked to randomisation. Addition of antihypertensive medications was allowed if specified blood pressure thresholds were exceeded. The primary endpoint was the change in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure at 2 months in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was also assessed in the intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02649426 . Findings Between March 11, 2016, and March 13, 2020, 989 participants were enrolled and 136 were randomly assigned to renal denervation (n=69) or a sham procedure (n=67). Full adherence to the combination medications at 2 months among patients with urine samples was similar in both groups (42 [82%] of 51 in the renal denervation group vs 47 [82%] of 57 in the sham procedure group; p=0·99). Renal denervation reduced daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure more than the sham procedure (−8·0 mm Hg [IQR –16·4 to 0·0] vs –3·0 mm Hg [–10·3 to 1·8]; median between-group difference –4·5 mm Hg [95% CI –8·5 to –0·3]; adjusted p=0·022); the median between-group difference was –5·8 mm Hg (95% CI –9·7 to –1·6; adjusted p=0·0051) among patients with complete ambulatory blood pressure data. There were no differences in safety outcomes between the two groups. Interpretation Compared with a sham procedure, ultrasound renal denervation reduced blood pressure at 2 months in patients with hypertension resistant to a standardised triple combination pill. If the blood pressure lowering effect and safety of renal denervation are maintained in the long term, renal denervation might be an alternative to the addition of further antihypertensive medications in patients with resistant hypertension. Funding ReCor Medical.

Summary Background Early studies suggest that radiofrequency-based renal denervation reduces blood pressure in patients with moderate hypertension. We investigated whether an alternative technology using endovascular ultrasound renal denervation reduces ambulatory blood pressure in patients with hypertension in the absence of antihypertensive medications. Methods RADIANCE-HTN SOLO was a multicentre, international, single-blind, randomised, sham-controlled trial done at 21 centres in the USA and 18 in Europe. Patients with combined systolic–diastolic hypertension aged 18–75 years were eligible if they had ambulatory blood pressure greater than or equal to 135/85 mm Hg and less than 170/105 mm Hg after a 4-week discontinuation of up to two antihypertensive medications and had suitable renal artery anatomy. Patients were randomised (1:1) to undergo renal denervation with the Paradise system (ReCor Medical, Palo Alto, CA, USA) or a sham procedure consisting of renal angiography only. The randomisation sequence was computer generated and stratified by centres with randomised blocks of four or six and permutation of treatments within each block. Patients and outcome assessors were blinded to randomisation. The primary effectiveness endpoint was the change in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure at 2 months in the intention-to-treat population. Patients were to remain off antihypertensive medications throughout the 2 months of follow-up unless specified blood pressure criteria were exceeded. Major adverse events included all-cause mortality, renal failure, an embolic event with end-organ damage, renal artery or other major vascular complications requiring intervention, or admission to hospital for hypertensive crisis within 30 days and new renal artery stenosis within 6 months. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02649426. Findings Between March 28, 2016, and Dec 28, 2017, 803 patients were screened for eligibility and 146 were randomised to undergo renal denervation (n=74) or a sham procedure (n=72). The reduction in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure was greater with renal denervation (−8·5 mm Hg, SD 9·3) than with the sham procedure (−2·2 mm Hg, SD 10·0; baseline-adjusted difference between groups: −6·3 mm Hg, 95% CI −9·4 to −3·1, p=0·0001). No major adverse events were reported in either group. Interpretation Compared with a sham procedure, endovascular ultrasound renal denervation reduced ambulatory blood pressure at 2 months in patients with combined systolic–diastolic hypertension in the absence of medications. Funding ReCor Medical.

Guidelines recommend suppression tests such as the saline infusion test (SIT) to ascertain the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA) in patients with a high aldosterone:renin ratio. However, suppression tests have only been evaluated in small retrospective series, and some experts consider that they are not helpful for the diagnosis of PA. In this study, we evaluated whether low post-SIT aldosterone concentrations do exclude lateralized PA. Between February 2009 and December 2013, 199 patients diagnosed with PA on the basis of 2 elevated aldosterone:renin ratio results and a high basal plasma or urinary aldosterone level or high post-SIT aldosterone level had a selective adrenal venous sampling. We used a selectivity index of 2 and a lateralization index of 4 to interpret the adrenal venous sampling results. Baseline characteristics of the patients were the following (percent or median): men 63%, 48 years old, office blood pressure 142/88 mm Hg, serum potassium 3.4 mmol/L, aldosterone:renin ratio 113 pmol/mU, plasma aldosterone concentration 588 pmol/L. The proportion of patients with lateralized adrenal venous sampling was 12 of 41 (29%) among those with post-SIT aldosterone