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High BloodPressure andYour Kidneys
reaching outgiving hopeimproving lives
American Kidney Fund
reaching outgiving hopeimproving lives
Your doctor told you that you havehigh blood pressure. You may have
a lot of questions. This guide will help.
You will learn:
● What high blood pressure is● How high blood pressure hurts
your kidneys● What your blood pressure numbers
mean● How to stay healthy● Where to find more information
While reading this guide, you may see aword that you don’t know in bold. Ifso, turn to page 16 and look for theword in the glossary.
We know we can’t answer all of yourquestions. Write down any questionsthat you have and talk about them withyour healthcare team.
High Blood Pressure:The #2 Cause of Kidney Failure
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What is Blood Pressure?
When blood flows through your body, itpresses on the walls of your blood
vessels. This force is called blood pressure.
Blood pressure that is too high makes theheart work harder and can damage thearteries and veins in your body.
If not treated, high blood pressure (alsocalled hypertension) can lead to healthproblems, including:
● Kidney failure
● Stroke● Heart attack● Heart failure
Even worse, high blood pressure has NOsymptoms. It is often called the “silentkiller.” The only way to know if you havehigh blood pressure is to be checked.
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Who is at risk for high bloodpressure?
You are more at risk for high bloodpressure if you:
● Are African American● Are over 55 years old● Have a close family member with
high blood pressure● Are overweight or obese● Eat a diet high in salt● Smoke or use tobacco products● Drink too much alcohol (more than
1 drink a day for women or morethan 2 drinks a day for men)
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Your kidneys are like a filter for yourbody. They keep some things in your
body that you need, and they get rid ofthe wastes you don’t need.
The filters in your kidneys are full of tinyblood vessels (called glomeruli). Highblood pressure can hurt these tiny bloodvessels.
Your Urinary System
How can high blood pressurehurt my kidneys?
Once the kidneys are hurt like this, theycan’t be fixed. If high blood pressure isnot treated early, it can lead to kidneyfailure. Kidney failure means that thekidneys don’t work well enough to cleanyour blood. There is no cure for kidneyfailure. If you have kidney failure, youwill need dialysis or a kidney transplant
to live.
The good news is that high bloodpressure takes a while to damage yourkidneys. Sometimes it takes manyyears. This means you have time to helpprotect your kidneys.
To learn more about kidney failure,dialysis or kidney transplant, call theAmerican Kidney Fund’s HelpLine at866.300.2900 or visithttp://www.kidneyfund.org
You will not be able to feel if high
blood pressure has hurt your kidneys.
The only way to know is to be tested.
Your doctor can do a few simple tests
to check how well your kidneys are
working. Keep reading to learn more.
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How can my kidneys affectmy blood pressure?
High blood pressure can damageyour kidneys, but your kidneys can
cause high blood pressure, too.
Your kidneys help control your bloodpressure. If your kidneys are damaged,they cannot do this as well as theyshould. This can cause your bloodpressure to rise. The higher bloodpressure can hurt your kidneys evenmore.
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High blood pressure has NO signs orsymptoms. The only way to know if
you have high blood pressure is to haveit checked.
Having your blood pressure checked isquick and easy. You can get your bloodpressure checked at:
● Your doctor's office● Health fairs in the community● Home (using a blood pressure cuff
that you buy)● Your grocery store or local mall (most
have machines that are free and easyto use)
Use the chart on the next page to seewhat your blood pressure results mean.
How will I know if I havehigh blood pressure?
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When you check your blood pressure, youwill get two numbers. The first (top)number is the pressure when your heartbeats. This is called systolic pressure.The second (bottom) number is thepressure between heart beats. This iscalled diastolic pressure.
Use this chart to see what your bloodpressure results may mean:
First (Top) Second (Bottom)Number Number
Healthy Less than 120 Less than 80A Little High 120-139 80-89Very High 140 or More 90 or More
If either number is high, your bloodpressure is high.
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The best time to check your bloodpressure is when you have beenresting for a few minutes.
Blood pressure changes during the dayand it may go up when you movearound, eat certain foods, or feelexcited.
Talk to your doctor if your resting bloodpressure is high at more than onecheck.
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What if I have high bloodpressure?
If you have high blood pressure, you cancontrol it. This will help to protect your
kidneys and prevent kidney disease. Talkto your doctor about how to keep yourblood pressure in a healthy range. Somethings to think about are:
Diet
● Try to eat low-fat and low-salt foods● Limit how much alcohol you drink (no
more than 1 drink a day for women or2 drinks a day for men)
● Avoid tobacco products
Exercise
Exercise regularly. Try to work up to 30minutes of aerobic exercise (walking,running, dancing, biking, swimming, etc.)most days of the week. This can helpkeep your blood pressure in a healthyrange.
Also, losing even a few pounds if you areoverweight can help you control yourblood pressure.
Important! Talk to your doctor beforestarting any kind of exercise.
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Medicines
Ask your doctor if a blood pressuremedicine is right for you. There aremany different types of blood pressuremedicines. ACE Inhibitors and ARBs
are two types of blood pressuremedicines that can help prevent damageto your heart and kidneys. Work withyour doctor to find a medicine thatworks best for you.
You might also want to ask about adiuretic (“water pill”). This is a type ofmedicine that helps your body get rid ofextra fluid. Having too much fluid in yourbody can raise your blood pressure.
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What other tests should I have?
An eGFR (estimated Glomerular
Filtration Rate) test can tell howyour kidneys are working. Your doctorcan check your eGFR by doing a simpleblood test.
The doctor checks your blood for achemical called creatinine. Then, yourdoctor uses the result from that test tofind your eGFR. Your doctor will also useyour age, sex and race to figure out youreGFR.
The eGFR number that your doctor givesyou can tell you how well your kidneysare working. Use the chart below to seewhat your eGFR may mean.
eGFR Result What It
May Mean
60 or More Normal or Little Kidney Damage
30 to 59 Moderate Kidney Damage
15 to 29 Severe Kidney Damage
Less than 15 Kidney Failure (Dialysis or transplant may be needed soon.)
Based on the National Kidney Disease Education Program’sSuggestions for Laboratories, available atwww.nkdep.nih.gov/resources/laboratory_reporting.htm.
For more information about eGFR andkidney disease, order the AmericanKidney Fund’s brochure Living Well withChronic Kidney Disease. Call ourHelpLine at 866.300.2900 or visithttp://www.kidneyfund.org
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What if I already have kidneydisease?
If you already have kidney disease, it isstill very important to control high blood
pressure.
Talk to your doctor about what is ahealthy blood pressure for you. Sinceyou have kidney disease, your healthyblood pressure may be a little higher thannormal. Most doctors suggest a bloodpressure less than 130/90 (130 over 90).
Also talk to your doctor about how tohelp control your blood pressure. Youmay need to change your diet, exerciseor medicines a little to help stay healthy.See pages 10 and 11 for tips.
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If you are on dialysis, you still need tocontrol your blood pressure. This will
help to protect your heart and bloodvessels and prevent other problems.
Talk to your doctor about how to keepyour blood pressure in a healthy range.A renal dietitian can also help you learnmore about how to limit the salt andfluids in your diet.
You can also order the American KidneyFund’s brochure Health Eating forHemodialysis or Diet Guide for theCAPD Patient. Call our toll-freeHelpLine at 866.300.2900 or visithttp://www.kidneyfund.org
What if I am on dialysis?
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Glossary
ACE Inhibitor: Angiotensin-ConvertingEnzyme Inhibitor. A medicine used totreat high blood pressure. ACE Inhibitorscan also help slow kidney damage.
ARB: Angiotensin II ReceptorBlocker/Inhibitor. A medicine used totreat high blood pressure. ARBs can alsohelp slow kidney damage.
Blood Pressure: The force that bloodputs on blood vessels as it flows throughthem.
Blood Vessels: Flexible tubes that carryblood through the body. Blood vesselsinclude arteries and veins.
Creatinine: A kind of waste in the bloodthat comes from everyday muscle use.Healthy kidneys filter creatinine out of theblood. When the kidneys are not workinglike they should, creatinine builds up inthe blood.
Dialysis: A way to clean wastes fromthe blood using a machine and specialfluid. The two major types of dialysis arehemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
Diastolic Pressure: The force that bloodputs on blood vessels when the heart isrelaxing (between heartbeats). This is thebottom number of a blood pressurereading.
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Diuretic: A medicine or chemical thatcauses a person’s body to make moreurine. Also called a “water pill.”
eGFR: estimated Glomerular FiltrationRate. A measure of how well the kidneysare working. An eGFR is based on a per-son’s creatinine level, age, sex and race.
Hypertension: High blood pressure.This can be caused by too much fluid inthe blood vessels or by narrowing of theblood vessels. Hypertension is thesecond leading cause of kidney failure. Itcan also be caused by kidney disease.
Kidney Failure: When the kidneys arenot working well enough to clean wastesand extra fluid from the blood. A personwith kidney failure will need dialysis or akidney transplant to live.
Renal Dietitian: A person whospecializes in the kidney friendly diet.Renal dietitians can help you learn how toeat healthy with kidney disease.
Systolic Pressure: The force that bloodputs on blood vessels when the heartcontracts (beats). This is the top numberof a blood pressure reading.
Transplant: When a diseased organ isreplaced with a healthy one. A kidneytransplant may come from a living donoror someone who has just died.
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Where Can I Find More Help?
American Kidney Fund
6110 Executive Blvd.Suite 1010Rockville, MD 20852HelpLine: (866) 300-2900http://www.kidneyfund.orgEmail: [email protected]
American Heart Association
National Center7272 Greenville AvenueDallas, TX 75231(800) 242-8721http://www.americanheart.org
National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute
Health Information CenterP.O. Box 30105Bethesda, MD 20824-0105(301) 592-8573http://www.nih.nhlbi.govEmail: [email protected]
National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases
3 Information WayBethesda, MD 20892-3580(800) 891-5390http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov
National Kidney Foundation
30 East 33rd StreetNew York, NY 10016(800) 622-9010http://www.kidney.org
Renal Support Network
1311 N. Maryland AvenueGlendale, CA 91207(800) 579-1970http://www.rsnhope.org
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Notes
The American Kidney Fund provides direct financial
assistance to kidney patients in need and education for those with and at risk for kidney disease.
Combined Federal Campaign #11404
For more information on theAmerican Kidney Fund’s programs,or to find more information onkidney disease and its treatment,contact us at:
American Kidney Fund6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 1010Rockville, MD 20852Toll-Free: [email protected]://www.kidneyfund.org
Copyright© 2008 by American Kidney Fund, Inc. All rights reserved.
American Kidney Fund6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 1010Rockville, MD 20852Toll-Free: 800.638.8299HelpLine: [email protected]://www.kidneyfund.org
Combined Federal Campaign #11404
