Study of Percutaneous Renal Artery Intervention for Patient With Heart Failure (STRETCH)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men and women age 18 or older referred for invasive evaluation of possible renal artery stenosis will be screened for enrollment.

Patients must be inpatients admitted for heart failure exacerbation, or have been admitted to a hospital for heart failure exacerbation within the past 90 days. Heart failure is defined as physician documentation or report of any of the following clinical symptoms of heart failure described as dyspnea on exertion, dyspnea occurring in the supine position, fluid retention; or the description of rales, jugular venous distension, pulmonary edema on physical exam, or pulmonary edema on chest x-ray; without being clearly attributable to liver, kidney, or lung disease. Patients must have one of the following: 1. an ejection fraction of 50%; 2. an ejection fraction of 25-50% in the setting of a systolic blood pressure of at least 160 mmHg; or 3. an ejection fraction of 25-50% and a systolic blood pressure of at least 140 mmHg while being treated with at least 2 antihypertensive medications. Patients who meet these criteria and have a proven hemodynamically significant renal artery stenosis (as described in the procedure section) will be included

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients with heart failure from structural heart disease (including greater than moderate dysfunction of the mitral or aortic valve), acute coronary syndrome, post-partum cardiomyopathy, or acute rejection of a transplanted heart will be excluded. Patients who are considered unlikely to survive to hospital discharge will be excluded. Patients with fibromuscular dysplasia, prior renal stenting, or anatomy unsuitable for renal stenting (i.e. prior vascular surgery making stent delivery impossible) will be excluded. Patients who are unable to take aspirin and clopidogrel will be excluded. Patients with a creatinine clearance <30 mL/min or a history of renal transplantation will be excluded. Pregnant women will be excluded.

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