High Blood Pressure and Kidneys

• Blood pressure is the measurement of the force of blood against your artery walls as it flows through your body.
• High blood pressure, also called hypertension, means this force is consistently too high.
• A blood pressure measurement has 2 numbers. Systolic (the top number) measures how much pressure your blood is exerting when your heart beats. Diastolic (the bottom number) measures how much pressure your blood is exerting when your heart is between beats. It is typically expressed as systolic "over" diastolic.
• High blood pressure is 130 or higher systolic pressure, or 80 or higher diastolic pressure.

Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure. Often there are no symptoms or warning signs, even with very high blood pressure, and the potential complications are extremely serious. Risks of high blood pressure include heart attack and stroke, as well as kidney disease.

Kidneys use blood vessels to clean your blood of wastes, toxins and excess fluid. High blood pressure means that high pressure is consistently being exerted against the walls of arteries throughout the body, which can damage blood vessels over time. Damage to blood vessels, including the hardening and narrowing of arteries around the kidneys, can prevent your kidneys from cleaning blood—eventually leading to kidney disease.

Kidney disease or kidney failure due to high blood pressure may take years to develop. If you are diagnosed with kidney disease, it's important to know that there are things you can do to manage CKD and thrive.

Lowering high blood pressure is important to your overall health. Your doctor can create a treatment plan to help you take control of your blood pressure. Here are some steps to discuss:

• Eating a healthy, low-salt diet
• Doing regular physical activity
• Managing stress
• Quitting smoking
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Limiting caffeine and alcohol intake
• Taking any prescribed medications

Questions about hypertension and kidney disease? Ask your doctor or nurse.