High blood pressure

High Blood Pressure is an important risk factor in chronic kidney disease patients and needs to be carefully monitored. When people suffer from high blood pressure it puts more stress on blood vessels throughout the body, including the kidneys. When this happens kidneys cannot filter wastes from the blood properly. Achieving the recommended blood pressure goals can reduce the risk of needing dialysis or experiencing a heart attack or stroke.

World Kidney Day (WKD) is pleased to announce an official partnershipwith World Hypertension Day (WHD) which is taking place on the 17th of May. WKD and WHD will work together to raise global awareness of the role of high blood pressure as a common cause and complication of kidney disease and its harmful effects.

Did you know?
High blood pressure is present in approximately 80 percent of patients with CKD. Read more amazing kidney facts

1. High Blood Pressure & Chronic Kidney Disease
2. Why is high blood pressure so important?
3. What can be done to control high blood pressure?
4. Growing prevalence of high blood pressure in populations worldwide
5. Salt intake and High Blood pressure
6. WKD Goals

For more detailed information about the importance of high blood pressure in the management of chronic kidney disease please read the WKD scientific editorial that will be published shortly : "Hypertension and Kidney Disease: a marriage that should be prevented".

1. High Blood Pressure & Chronic Kidney Disease

High Blood Pressure correlates with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a number of ways. High blood pressure can independently cause CKD, contribute to its development or even be the result of CKD. Studies show that as kidney function worsens the likelihood that a patient will have high blood pressure increases. The treatment of high blood pressure has become the most important intervention in the management of all forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

2. Why is high blood pressure so important?

Firstly, better blood pressure control slows the progression of CKD, thereby making it less likely a patient will require dialysis. Second, patients with CKD are more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than they are to require dialysis. In other words, lowering blood pressure will reduce the risk of heart disease, which for most patients with CKD, is of a more immediate threat than end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

3. What can be done to control high blood pressure?

Lifestyle changes, regular exercise and diet can have a profound impact on blood pressure and overall health. Weight loss of as little as eight to 10 pounds can have a dramatic impact on blood pressure. Blood pressure can also be lowered by reducing consumption of alcohol.

Medications are also essential and include the use of high blood pressure medicine, controlling cholesterol and the treatment of symptoms like anemia. Regardless of the medications used or lifestyle changes made, evidence provides hope in showing that by achieving the recommended blood pressure goals, CKD patients can reduce their risk of needing dialysis or experiencing an adverse cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke.

4. Growing prevalence of high blood pressure in populations worldwide

High blood pressure is a global problem and the situation is projected to get worse. The world population is getting older and aging is the most common risk factor for the development of high blood pressure and diabetes as well as CKD. Nearly one billion people worldwide have high blood pressure and that number is expected to increase to 1.56 billion by 2025. The prevalence of high blood pressure is predicted to increase by 24 percent in developed countries and by 80 percent in developing regions such as Africa and Latin America. A recent report noted that 333 million adults in economically developed regions such as North America and Europe had high blood pressure in 2000, with an additional 639 million people in developing countries with this condition.

5. Salt Intake an High Blood pressure

The kidney was designed to balance the salt intake naturally occurring in foods with body needs. Eating as we do, many people accumulate more salt and water than their kidneys can handle. Excessive salt also exerts excess pressure on our heart’s blood vessel walls. The higher the blood pressure, the more blood flow to the kidney is reduced, impairing the function of the kidney and ultimately leading to chronic kidney disease.

A healthy diet with salt reduction to roughly less than five grams (100 mmols sodium) substantially lowers blood pressure. In addition, measuring blood pressure regularly and using medications when necessary are vital to reducing the incidence and risk of chronic kidney disease.

6. WKD Goals

The organisers, the International Society of Nephrology (ISN)1 and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF) want to put pressure on governments and the healthcare community to ensure:

that measurement of blood pressure and examination of urine become part of routine medical examinations
obligatory screening of high risk patients (metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular patients, family history of Chronic Kidney Disease);
that patients with Chronic Kidney Disease are informed about hypertension and taught
self measurement techniques.

The societies responsible for WKD also encourage public health authorities to support efforts to raise public awareness of CKD and promote moves to reduce the risk of developing hypertension. Such governmental public health initiatives are exemplified by countries like the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan reducing salt in the diet and mandating labels have sodium content as in the US. These initiatives

- back to top -

World Kidney Day is a joint initiative of:

and

World Kidney Day is made possible in part by:

become a WKD Partner »

WKD Supporters