Influence and Critique of the ASTRAL and CORAL Trials

Optimal management of renal artery atherosclerotic occlusive disease has been widely debated and studied. Although the accepted invasive treatment has evolved into favoring balloon angioplasty and stenting, the indications for intervention or medical therapy have not been universally agreed upon. The Angioplasty and Stenting for Renal Artery Lesions (ASTRAL) trial was conducted to answer the question of whether medical therapy or angioplasty and stenting is the best treatment for hemodynamically significant renal artery stenosis. However, the ASTRAL trial's study design was faulty and therefore did not provide conclusive evidence to answer the question. The Cardiovascular Outcomes in Renal Atherosclerotic Lesions (CORAL) trial was designed to answer the same question as to which treatment (medical or angioplasty and stent) is best for renal artery stenosis, and its methodologies took into consideration the weaknesses of the ASTRAL trial. Results are soon to be released.