Renal Artery Stenosis
Renal Artery Stenosis
Renal artery stenosis is a condition characterized by constriction of one or more than one renal arteries, supplying blood to the kidneys. This leads to the prevention of blood to reach kidneys which results in kidney tissue injury and increase blood pressure in the body.
Symptoms
Symptoms include:
- Hypertension which has potential to be worse
- Bruit heard on the kidneys (whooshing sound as blood flows through the constricted blood vessels)
- Swelling or edema in the body
- Heart failure which is treatment resistant
Causes
There are two main causes of this condition i-e build up of fat, cholesterol or plague in the renal arteries and fibromuscular dysplasia ( abnormal growth of muscles in the wall of arteries). Fibromuscular dysplasia is often a congenital condition and present at birth. These causes leads to reduce supply of oxygen-rich blood to the kidneys, hindering its functioning.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of this condition depends upon detailed medical history and complete general physical examination of the patient. Other tests include:
- Blood tests
- Urine tests
- Imaging tests include Doppler ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, Renal arteriography.
Treatment
Treatment options include:
- Lifestyle modification like limiting salt intake, consuming healthy diet, being active and regular exercise.
- Medications are prescribed which include; anti-hypertension drugs, Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), Diuretics, beta blockers and alpha-beta blockers.
- Invasive procedures are sometimes considered like renal angioplasty and stenting and renal artery bypass.
Lifestyle and home remedies
- Be active and exercise regularly.
- Make healthy habits of eating on time and consuming healthy, organic and fat free diets
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Quit smoking