Hypertension

Did you know that hypertension (high blood pressure) is the second-most common cause of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure? Skilled nephrologist Deon Middlebrook, MD, in Detroit, Michigan, has extensive experience helping patients prevent hypertension when possible and providing exceptional care to lower their blood pressure and protect their kidneys with lifestyle management, diet, and medical intervention. Don’t wait to seek help for hypertension; early treatment can prevent kidney disease. Call the practice, Deon D. Middlebrook MDPC today or use online booking to request an appointment.

What is hypertension?

Your body keeps your blood pressure — the force of blood against the arterial walls — within a specific range. When blood pressure rises above the healthy range, you have hypertension, also called high blood pressure.

Though anyone can develop hypertension, the condition is more common among African-Americans, affecting 55% of black adults. The black community also has disproportionately high rates of more severe high blood pressure, and they tend to develop the chronic disease earlier in life compared to white adults.

Does hypertension cause serious health problems?

Hypertension damages the artery wall, creating a rough spot that snags cholesterol and causes fatty plaque. As the plaque enlarges, the artery narrows, hardens, and limits blood flow (atherosclerosis).

Atherosclerosis can affect any artery in your body, but most often causes:

• Coronary artery disease (affects your heart)
• Carotid artery disease (affects your brain)
• Peripheral artery disease (affects your legs)
• Renal artery stenosis (affects your kidneys)

These conditions don’t cause symptoms until the artery becomes substantially blocked. Unfortunately, the first sign for most people is a heart attack or stroke.

How are the kidneys and hypertension connected? 

Kidney disease alone causes hypertension. And hypertension alone causes kidney disease by damaging the blood vessels your kidneys need to function. 

Along with removing wastes from your blood, your kidneys also regulate blood pressure by controlling the amount of sodium and water. Unhealthy lifestyle changes can overwhelm this regulatory control, resulting in hypertension.

Kidney damage prevents the organs from influencing blood pressure, allowing it to rise even higher, creating a progressive spiral of kidney damage and hypertension.

How does my lifestyle lead to hypertension? 

Hypertension most often develops slowly over years of leading an unhealthy lifestyle, including:

• Consuming too much salt
• Consuming too little potassium
• Not getting regular exercise
• Living with significant stress
• Smoking cigarettes
• Gaining weight

Being overweight or obese is one of the top causes of hypertension. With nearly half of adults having a body mass index (BMI) that qualifies as obese, the war on obesity takes on life-saving urgency. Obesity significantly increases your risk for kidney disease, hypertension, and heart disease.

Lifestyle management dramatically lowers your risk. Changing your diet, getting more exercise, losing weight, and stopping smoking promotes kidney health and your overall well-being.

How is hypertension treated?

As a nephrologist, Dr. Middlebrook diagnoses and treats kidney disease and kidney failure. He also recognizes how kidney conditions affect your body, including problems like cardiovascular disease, autoimmune conditions, and hypertension. 

He helps patients manage hypertension through individualized care that includes customized lifestyle recommendations and medications when needed.

Call Deon D. Middlebrook MDPC or use online booking today to request an appointment for hypertension screening and management.