Methods and apparatus for bilateral renal neuromodulation

A method for bilateral renal neuromodulation of a human patient with diagnosed hypertension, diagnosed heart failure, diagnosed chronic kidney disease, or diagnosed renal failure, the method comprising:

• inhibiting neural activity along renal nerves that contribute to function of the right kidney of the patient;
• and
• inhibiting neural activity along renal nerves that contribute to function of the left kidney of the patient,
• wherein inhibiting neural activity along the renal nerves that contribute to function of the right and left kidneys of the patient results in a therapeutically beneficial reduction in the clinical symptoms of hypertension in the patient,
• wherein at least one of the right and left kidney continues to secrete renin in the patient after inhibiting neural activity along the renal nerves.

A method for bilateral renal denervation of a human patient diagnosed with hypertension, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, or renal failure, the method comprising:

• reducing neural activity along nerves that innervate a first kidney of the patient;
• and
• reducing neural activity along nerves that innervate a second kidney of the patient,
• wherein reducing neural activity along the nerves that innervate the first and second kidneys of the patient results in a therapeutically beneficial reduction in central sympathetic overactivity in the patient,
• wherein at least one of the first kidney and second kidney continues to secrete renin in the patient after reducing neural activity along the renal nerves.