Revascularization of Renal Artery Stenosis Versus Medical Therapy for the Treatment of Ischemic Nephropathy

Atherosclerotic renovascular disease (ARVD), due to renal hypoperfusion caused by mono or bilateral renal artery stenosis (RAS), is a increasing cause of chronic kidney disease and many elderly patients start dialysis due to ARDVD. Moreover ARVD is frequently progressive and reduces life-expectancy more than other causes of end stage renal disease, with a mortality rate higher than in patients with stable angina, similar to that of patients operated for colon cancer. Unfortunately, there is not a definite therapy to cure this disease, despite important advancements in both medical therapy and in interventional radiology. Aim of the study is to see whether percutaneous transluminal interventional radiology plus stenting (PTRS) of the renal artery offers more, in terms of both preventing the progression of renal failure and controlling the hypertension, compared with the medical therapy addressed to control hypertension, improve the dyslipidemic profile and optimise the platelet anti-aggregant therapy, following the most recent guidelines. The eligible patients will be centrally randomized to: 1. medical treatment with hypotensive drugs (all class of hypotensive agents will be used according to single-center experience including drugs agent on renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system, when permitted), lipid lowering therapy (namely all class of statins-or hydroxymethylglutaryl-coA reductase inhibitors)and anti-platelet (acetylsalicylate and/or ticlopidine or clopidrogel according to single-center experience) or to 2. the same medical therapy, as previously described in group a, associated with PTRS, according to a standardized protocol, with a follow up at 2 years extended to other 2 years