Posted on 01/11/2022 3:09:40 PM PST by ConservativeMind
New kidney research is raising concerns that long-term use of drugs commonly prescribed to treat high-blood pressure and heart failure could be contributing to kidney damage.
Patients should continue taking the medications, which include the well-known and widely used ACE inhibitors, the researchers say. But the scientists are urging studies to better understand the drugs' long-term effects.
"Our studies show that renin-producing cells are responsible for the damage. We are now focusing on understanding how these cells, which are so important to defend us from drops in blood pressure and maintain our well-being, undergo such transformation and induce kidney damage," said Dr. Maria Lopez. "What is needed is to identify what substances these cells make that lead to uncontrolled vessel growth" in the kidney.
Understanding kidney damage
Chronic high blood pressure affects a billion people around the world.
They found that specialized kidney cells called renin cells play an important role. These cells normally produce renin, a vital hormone that helps the body regulate blood pressure. But harmful changes in the renin cells can cause the cells to invade the walls of the kidney's blood vessels. The renin cells then trigger a buildup of another cell type, smooth muscle cells, that cause the vessels to thicken and stiffen. The result: Blood can't flow through the kidney as it should.
Further, the researchers found, long-term use of drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin system, such as ACE inhibitors, or angiotensin receptor blockers, have a similar effect. These drugs are widely used for many purposes, including treating high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and heart attacks, as well as to prevent major heart problems. But long-term use of the drugs was associated with hardened kidney vessels in both lab mice and humans, the scientists found.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
“Eat paleo, lift weights, do yoga, meditate, don’t get drunk, don’t chug caffeine, get plenty of sleep”
Die in a car fire
My previous doctors had me on four different types of blood pressure medications without determining the cause of the high blood pressure. As a result I have reduced kidney function.
I was then sent to an endocrinologist who determined that I had hyperaldosteronism from a tumor in my adrenal glands and that was causing the high blood pressure. Now I am down to one medication.
This can be a damned if you do, damned if you don’t problem. High blood pressure itself damages delicate kidney structures.
People should control hypertension through diet if possible. The DASH diet. Salt, sodium, restriction is a major goal.
Bmk
Mine is 126/64 just now. But it’s all over the map with an autoimmune kidney syndrome causing mayhem. When that’s not active I’m routinely 130s/70s using a DASH/Mediterranean diet.
Every doctor I know has been saying this and every nephrologist I have ever talked to has been sounding the alarm for years.
Cinnamon is supposed to help with blood-pressure (and many other advantages).
I’m typically 135/80 with a 55 pulse. I figure my heart isn’t having too much problem getting the blood through the veins if it is only beating 55 times a minute. If I up my potassium, that drops to 125/75 - but I find it hard to keep up that rate of potassium intake and it doesn’t really seem worth the effort.
I’m banking on that more each day.
Inspiring until the “oh well” at the end.
LOL, but that shows no stress.
Stress has real life implications.
I control what I can, and don’t worry about what I can’t.
“This may point to a benefit from having several blood pressure medicines, all at low dosages, rather than just an ACE-I or ARB at a high dose.”
This is exactly what my GP and cardiologist recommend and the treatment approach they have me on.
Like I tell the young people I work with, and outwork, getting old ain’t for the weak.
Just messaged this to my doctor. Thanks for posting.
This has been know awhile which is why people taking these meds always have regular blood work done to monitor the liver and kidneys.
It would be good to know the names of these blood pressure medicines.
ACE inhibitors are easily identifiable by their common suffix, ‘-pril’.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACE_inhibitor
ARBs usually end in “-sartan,”
https://www.osmosis.org/learn/Angiotensin_II_receptor_blockers_(ARBs):_Nursing_Pharmacology
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