3. Hypertension: The Silent Assailant of Kidneys
High blood pressure isn’t just a heart issue; it’s a kidney issue too. Your blood vessels are like a complex highway system. If there’s too much pressure—think of it like traffic—your kidneys are the first to bear the brunt. With the extra pressure, they may start to leak protein into your urine.
The workings of blood pressure on kidneys are not as straightforward as it seems. Hypertension damages both the blood vessels entering and exiting the kidneys. When blood flows through kidneys at high pressure, the kidneys perceive it as a danger. In response, they start to constrict other blood vessels throughout the body, initiating a vicious cycle.
Hypertension isn’t just an adult’s game. Pediatric hypertension is increasingly contributing to cases of proteinuria. As younger populations face lifestyle changes and stress, they too fall victim to high blood pressure and subsequently to proteinuria.
It’s worth noting that unlike other causes, proteinuria induced by hypertension is reversible in many cases. Yes, you heard that right. Manage the blood pressure, and often, the kidneys will cease their unnecessary protein secretion. (3)
