What Are the Causes of Renovascular Hypertension?

Renovascular hypertension is a serious condition brought on by deficiencies in the cardiovascular system. The person may be in otherwise good health, but due to the onset of renovascular hypertension he could be at risk for heart disease or a heart attack.

Identification

Renovascular hypertension is a form of secondary hypertension, which means that it's a cause of hypertension that is easily discerned. Only about 10 percent of the people suffering from hypertension experience secondary hypertension. Renovascular hypertension is characterized by a hardening or narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the kidneys. When the blood flow to the kidneys is reduced, the kidneys mistakenly act as though the blood pressure in the body is low and begin to give off hormones to increase blood flow. This brings about the high blood pressure. Primary hypertension is the onset of high blood pressure with no apparent reason or cause. It could result from a variety of conditions, but the true identity of the actual cause of the high blood pressure isn't known.

Features

The more common and underlying cause of renovascular hypertension is an increase in the amount of cholesterol in the body, which causes the arteries in the kidneys to harden and narrow. This condition, known as atherosclerosis, is most common in older people.

Misconceptions

Renal infarction is sometimes misdiagnosed as renovascular hypertension. Renal infarction is the systematic destruction of kidney cells due to a lack of oxygen-carrying blood reaching the kidneys. While it is possible that renovascular hypertension could be the cause of renal infarction, there are other causes of renal infarction--such as an embolism in the blood vessel that restricts blood flow--that often get misdiagnosed as renovascular hypertension.

Effects

Renovascular hypertension is a serious condition that can lead to other afflictions, such as a heart attack or stroke. It could also result in kidney failure and can be fatal.

Considerations

Treatments for renovascular hypertension can vary from lifestyle changes to surgery. A doctor may recommend the reduction of certain high-fat foods from the diet and may also suggest that the patient lose weight. Medications such as calcium channel blockers and beta blockers can also be used to combat the condition, but any medication used to fight it runs the risk of damaging the kidneys. Physicians should only prescribe medication when appropriate based on medical history and test results.
Surgery is also an option. It can include stenting the artery to open blood flow to the kidney.