Hypertension is an especially dangerous disease affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The first use of this minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure was made at King Fahd Medical City-Prince Salman Heart Center, in Riyadh, the center said in a press release on Wednesday.

“We're excited to partner with hypertension specialists to offer this innovative treatment to patients in our country,” said Dr. Mostafa A. Youssef, director of Prince Salman Heart Center and consultant interventional cardiologist at King Fahd Medical City.

“Renal denervation is an exciting new approach to treating resistant hypertension, and the Prince Salman Heart Center at the King Fahd Medical City is proud to offer this new treatment option for the appropriate patient population. Patients whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled face increased cardiovascular risk.”

In Saudi Arabia, it is estimated that approximately 26.1 percent people have hypertension.

The Symplicity Catheter System accomplishes renal denervation through a minimally invasive procedure that disables sympathetic nerves located in the renal artery walls and does not involve a permanent implant.

Clinical research to date shows that renal denervation with the Symplicity Catheter System may provide a significant and sustained reduction in blood pressure levels for many patients with resistant blood pressure, despite multiple anti-hypertensive medications.

Although pharmaceutical therapy plays a primary role in hypertension management, drugs alone are sometimes not effective for all patients. As a result, despite lifestyle changes and the availability of anti-hypertensive agents, approximately 50 percent of patients with hypertension remain uncontrolled.

Blood pressures of 140/90 mm Hg and higher greatly increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure. Lowering blood pressure can reduce these risks. But an estimated 30 percent of patients with hypertension cannot achieve normal blood pressure levels, even with multiple anti-hypertension medications. These patients are said to have resistant — also called refractory or malignant — hypertension.