Hypertension
Mount Sinai kidney doctors (nephrologists) have special expertise in diagnosing and helping you manage high blood pressure (hypertension).
Kidneys and Hypertension
The kidneys regulate the body’s internal environment, including helping maintain normal blood pressure. The kidneys constantly monitor and adjust the balance of fluids, salts, and hormones that directly affects blood pressure.
Kidneys remove dietary salt and water quickly from the body through urine. When your blood pressure is low, the kidneys usually signal the body to produce powerful hormones that retain salt and water. This helps bring blood pressure back to normal. However, this system may not work well in people who are sensitive to salt or have kidney disease.
Nearly half of U.S. adults have hypertension. Many are unaware of their condition. This is a problem because uncontrolled hypertension increases your risk for chronic heart, brain, and kidney diseases. Over time, it could cause even more serious complications such as heart attacks, heart failure, dementia, strokes, and kidney failure.
The good news is that nephrologists can help you manage high blood pressure effectively. And avoiding hypertension can improve your long-term health.
Risk Factors
Certain people are more likely to develop hypertension. Higher risk of hypertension is associated with the following:
- Older age
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Family history of hypertension
- Too much salt in your diet
- Too much alcohol consumption
- Smoking
Services We Provide
Mount Sinai’s Nephrology Hypertension Program offers state-of-the-art detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure.
Our nephrologists can help you with:
- Understanding the root cause: Our experts can determine what is causing your uncontrolled blood pressure. Using specialized tests, we can identify if your high blood pressure is related to an underlying kidney issue. We also explore other possible causes of hypertension. In addition, we look for signs of kidney damage.
- Treating complex cases: When the standard medicine does not control hypertension, it often means the kidneys are involved. Our experts use medications that directly target the kidney's role in maintaining healthy blood pressure. We can also manage the complex interplay of blood pressure, fluids, and the levels of electrolytes (minerals including salt, potassium, and magnesium) in your body. An imbalance is often at the core of difficult-to-treat hypertension.
- Preventing future damage: Good blood pressure control is essential for your overall health. It helps you avoid complications such as heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, dementia, and kidney failure. Not only can kidney disease stem from hypertension, but it can also lead to it. This is a dangerous cycle. As nephrologists, our goal is not just to lower your blood pressure; it is to protect you from the long-term damage of hypertension. We work closely with your health care team to help you achieve and maintain normal blood pressure. We strive to preserve your health now and for years to come.