The role of carotid baroreceptor stimulation

Along with the renal nerve ablation approach, which has been already examined in detail in the previous chapter of this book, another invasive procedure based on stimulation of arterial baroreceptors located within the wall of the carotid arteries (carotid sinuses), known as electrical carotid baroreceptor stimulation, has received in the past few years particular interest for the treatment of resistant hypertension. This chapter will be focused on this approach, examining in sequence (1) the rationale for this intervention, (2) its historical background and main features, and (3) the results so far obtained in the field of resistant hypertension. The chapter will also provide, in its final part, a critical evaluation of the approach, with an analysis of its potential main advantages and disadvantages as compared with the renal denervation approach.