Kidney Damage due to High Blood Pressure (Hypertensive Nephropathy)

What is hypertensive nephropathy?

Continued (chronic) high blood pressure damages the small blood vessels, and the development of atherosclerosis can result in the narrowing blood vessels of the kidney.

In the small blood vessels of the kidney there is a build up of hyaline (a pink mixture of mainly proteins) that restricts blood flow to the kidney. This is known as hyaline atherosclerosis (or hyaline arteriosclerosis), and is different to atherosclerosis caused by plaque. Both forms of atherosclerosis usually occur in the kidney after usually present in the kidney after a period of high blood pressure. The reduced blood flow in the kidneys, due the atherosclerosis, causes less oxygen and other nutrients to get to kidney tissue. In response there are structural changes in the kidneys, which result in less efficient functioning of the kidneys.

What are the symptoms of kidney damage due to high blood pressure?

Laboratory tests can pick up indications of kidney damage/malfunction long before there are any physical symptoms. In the absence of control of blood pressure, progression to kidney failure proceeds slowly. Common symptoms of kidney failure such as fluid retention (edema), fatigue and breathing problems are similar and related to those of heart failure.

Depending on the amount of damage already present, lowering blood pressure will stop or slow the progression of damage to the kidney.