Vascular Health and Risk Management (May 2023)

The Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Peripheral and Central Hemodynamic Parameters on Resistant Hypertension: A Case Report

  • Giollo-Junior LT,
  • Cosenso-Martin LN,
  • da Silva Lopes V,
  • Paz Landim M,
  • Barufi Fernandes LA,
  • Aparecido de Oliveira K,
  • Spaziani AO,
  • Santos AP,
  • Silva MA,
  • Yugar-Toledo JC,
  • Vilela-Martin JF

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 19
pp. 317 – 323

Abstract

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Luiz Tadeu Giollo-Junior,1,2 Luciana Neves Cosenso-Martin,2 Valquiria da Silva Lopes,2 Manoel Paz Landim,2 Leticia Aparecida Barufi Fernandes,2 Kleber Aparecido de Oliveira,2 Amanda Oliva Spaziani,2 Aleandra Polegati Santos,2 Marco Antonio Silva,2 Juan Carlos Yugar-Toledo,2 Jose Fernando Vilela-Martin2 1General Hospital at Brazilian Army, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil; 2Hypertension Clinic - Internal Medicine Department, State Medical School in Sao Jose do Rio Preto (FAMERP), Sao Jose do Rio Preto, São Paulo, BrazilCorrespondence: Jose Fernando Vilela-Martin, Hypertension Clinic - Internal Medicine Department, State Medical School in Sao Jose do Rio Preto (FAMERP), Ave Brig. Faria Lima 5416, São Jose do Rio Preto, 15090-000, São Paulo, Brazil, Email [email protected]: Resistant hypertension (RH) is characterized by being difficult to control, even with the use of various antihypertensive drugs and is associated with target organ lesions and other comorbidities. Thus, new treatment alternatives such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can offer benefits to resistant hypertensive patients by reducing blood pressure (BP) in a non-invasive way and without the need for the association of more antihypertensive drugs. In this case, a patient with RH was submitted to three weekly applications of TENS on the stellate ganglion lasting 40 min each for 1 month. Peripheral and central hemodynamic assessments were performed by 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) before and after TENS applications. After completion of the TENS applications, significant reductions in office systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were observed. There was also a decrease in peripheral SBP and DBP in the 24‐h ABPM and sleep and SBP during wakefulness. Additionally, central parameters including central SBP and pulse wave velocity presented a significant reduction in the 24‐h ABPM, during the wakefulness and sleep. TENS is able to attenuate the sympathetic hyperactivity present in RH cases and decrease the peripheral and central hemodynamic parameters of a resistant hypertensive patient.Keywords: resistant hypertension, blood pressure, central hemodynamic, arterial stiffness, non-pharmacological therapy

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