Nephrology and Hypertension

Hypertension and Renal Disorders

Renal hypertension (or renovascular hypertension) is high blood pressure caused by the narrowing of your arteries that carry blood to your kidneys. It is also sometimes called renal artery stenosis. Because your kidneys are not getting enough blood, they react by making a hormone that makes your blood pressure rise. Blood pressure is the force of blood against your artery walls as your heart pumps blood through your body. A reading of 120/80 mmHg, or “120 over 80,” is normal. A reading of 140/90 mmHg or above is considered high blood pressure.

Renal hypertension is caused by a part or total bock of the arteries that supply blood to your kidneys. These renal (kidney) arteries carry blood rich in oxygen and nutrients from your heart to your kidneys. If your kidneys do not get enough blood or oxygen, it may be because these renal arteries are narrowed, a condition called renal artery stenosis. Plaque, made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances, builds up inside your arteries and causes them to harden and narrow (stenosis). Plaque can block, either partially or totally, your blood's flow through an artery in the heart, brain, pelvis, legs, arms or kidneys.