How Does High Blood Pressure Affect Kidney Health?

Dr.Vikas Agarwal, 3 mins read

Though persistent high blood pressure (BP) is itself a severe condition, it can also lead to new complications, including kidney damage. You may be surprised to know that there is a link between high blood pressure and poor kidney health. So, if your blood pressure always comes high on the BP monitor, you need to be more cautious.

Blood pressure is the force used by the heart to pump blood around the body. An ideal blood pressure level is less than 120/80 mmHg. But when this reading reaches 130/80 mmHg or higher, it is labelled as hypertension. This can occur due to many reasons, like smoking, obesity, stress, family history, unhealthy dietary choices, etc.

If this problem is left untreated and uncontrolled, it may cause heart attack, eye disease, metabolic syndrome and dementia, to name a few. Moreover, many studies show that hypertension may also lead to kidney problems. 

How does high blood pressure affect the kidneys?

To understand this, first, we need to know the kidney function. Kidneys are bean-shaped organs located on each side of the spine just below the ribs. They act as a filter system for the body. They refine our blood and eliminate the extra fluid (waste) from it. This waste then comes out of the body in the form of urine. 

The blood that needs to be filtered enters the kidneys through arteries. The filtered blood then flows back to the body via veins. 

But having hypertension may increase the force of blood on the arteries. If this continues for a long time, it damages the arteries and may make them narrow, weak or stiff. This decreases blood flow in arteries and so in the kidneys.

Ultimately, this affects the functioning of nephrons, the filtering units of the kidneys. As a result, nephrons have to face difficulty in removing wastes from the blood.

Moreover, the excess fluid buildup in the blood vessels further elevates the BP. This leads to more damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys. This may eventually cause chronic kidney disease (CKD) and potentially kidney failure.

Hypertension is a leading cause of kidney damage and kidney failure. So, it’s better to keep a watch on your blood pressure to ensure your kidney health.  

If you have high blood pressure, closely watch your kidney function. The doctor will help you in monitoring kidney function. 

Usually, both high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease don’t produce symptoms in the initial stages. In such cases, some tests will be very beneficial in diagnosing the problem. 

However, some patients with kidney problems experience a few symptoms, such as:

• Edema (swelling in legs, ankles or feet due to fluid buildup in the body)
• Weakness and fatigue
• Less or more urination
• Dry, itchy skin
• Nausea or vomiting
• Muscle cramp
• Loss of appetite
• Headache
• Trouble concentrating
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty sleeping
• Unexplained weight loss

Management of Hypertension

Lifestyle plays an important role in the management of high blood pressure. Making some changes in your lifestyle helps a long way in supporting your overall health. 

Other than this, you need to maintain a healthy diet. This means reducing intake of  salt, cholesterol and fat. And include healthy food in your diet, such as berries, beets, unsweetened yoghurt, leafy greens, bananas, etc.

You also need to consider exercise regularly. This will help you in managing weight, which will further help you in hypertension management. Also, put a full stop to alcohol consumption and smoking. In addition, monitor your BP every day to take the necessary steps at the right time. 

Also, Read: Kidney Transplant Process: From Evaluation to Recovery