How do the kidneys help regulate blood pressure?
One of the kidneys’ primary role is filtering out toxins. To help understand how do the kidneys help regulate blood pressure, beyond its primary function.
Blood pressure is a crucial factor for our day to day activities. Because it will decide your strength and weakness in public life, if blood pressure is high, you may get tired or feels lazy, or if it is in lower pressure, it may feel Forgetful. Overall, in blood pressures, Kidneys Help Regulate Blood Pressure.
Table of Contents
What is Blood Pressure?
It is a pressure of the blood exerted within the Arteries, and worldwide it is recognized as the contraction of the Heart Muscles. The count’s highest measurement is called systolic pressure, and the lowest count is called diastolic pressure. The measuring instrument is known as a sphygmomanometer.
What are Kidneys?
Kidneys are internal organs of the Human body. Its primary function is to filter human blood, separates the Unwanted wastes, toxic substances, and Urine formation to pass these as urea through ureters and urethral opening.
Read more about Kidneys:
- Kidneys Location, Structure, and Function.
- Why Do My Kidneys Hurt at Night?
- What does the pancreas do in your body?
- What kidney stone pain is like?
Please take a look and come back to read more about How Do The Kidneys Help Regulate Blood Pressure?
Relation of High Blood Pressure and Kidneys
Our kidneys and circulatory system depend on each other for a healthy body. Our kidneys help filter wastes, toxins, and extra fluids from our blood, and they use a bunch of blood vessels to do so.
When our blood vessels are damaged, the nephrons, which filters our blood, didn’t receive any oxygen and nutrients they needed to function well. This damage is the main reason behind High Blood Pressure (HBP or Hypertension), which is the second leading cause of Kidney Failure.
Over time, uncontrolled High Blood Pressure can cause arteries around the kidneys to narrow down, weakened, or harden it. These damaged arteries will not able to deliver enough blood to the kidney tissues.
The role of Renin in Kidneys Help Regulate Blood Pressure
The renins are the most crucial factor, and it is part of kidneys by which we can say that kidneys help regulate blood pressure. Let’s see how.
What is Renin?
When blood volume or sodium levels in the body are low or blood potassium is high, cells in the kidney release, the enzyme called renin. This renin stimulates the formation of Angiotensin in our blood and tissues, which in turn stimulates the release of aldosterone from the Adrenal cortex.
How do the kidneys help regulate blood pressure?
RAAS (Renin-Angiotensinogen-Aldosterone System) is the main to control and regulate our blood volume and pressure. The most scientific community emphasizes or connects the Renin secretion (which is primarily released in Kidneys) to Blood Pressure.
The RAAS process –
The Renin-angiotensin system regulates blood pressure, and it is also called a RAAS process.
Converting to Angiotensin I
Our blood also contains proteins. Angiotensinogen is one of them. Angiotensinogen is a short protein produced in the liver and is inactive, and it gets circulated in the blood. When renin function on angiotensinogen, it converts it into another shorter protein called Angiotensin One or Angiotensin I.
Role of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE)
When Angiotensin I pass through the Lungs, it gets converted into Angiotensin II by an enzyme called Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE). Angiotensin II is a potent vascular Vasoconstrictor, and it increases the peripheral resistance, which will, in turn, increases the blood pressure.
Additionally to increasing Blood Pressure by direct Vasoconstriction, Angiotensin II, it also stimulates aldosterone’s secretion from the Adrenal Glands. The boost causes the renal tubules to retain sodium and water and excrete potassium; hence, it increases the blood’s sodium levels.
Increase in Blood Volume & Pressure –
As the increased levels of sodium increase the Osmotic potential of the blood, it attracts more water. It means more water has to be retained in the plasma to increase blood volumes. These increased volumes of blood will increase blood pressure.
The decrease in Blood Volume & Pressure –
On the other hand, lower amounts of Angiotensin II will reduce Aldosterone secretion, which leads to more sodium excretion. It will lower sodium levels in the blood leading to decreased blood volumes and lowers Blood Pressure.
Juxtaglomerular Cells –
If the systemic blood pressure increased, the tension in the afferent arteriole would also increase. The JGA cells (called Juxtaglomerular cell) will detect it and will respond by reducing Renin secretion. When there is less renin present in the blood, more angiotensinogen will remain in an inactive form.
This Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system allows the kidneys to control & regulate their blood flow to an extent when an organ holds itself in this way, and it’s called Autoregulation.
Chronic Hypertension –
For any reason, the kidneys over-secretes the renin, and blood pressure will go higher. Unusual high Blood Pressure termed hypertension. An excess Renin, you probably find in most cases of Chronic Hypertension.
You may have come across ACE inhibiting drugs. These inhibit ACE (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme) and so inhibit the conversion of Angiotensin I into Angiotensin II. When there is less Angiotensin II, there will be less Vasoconstriction, thus reducing aldosterone’s secretion in our body—finally leading to decrease blood pressure.
Kidney Failure and Blood Pressure
As above discussed, the kidney has a more significant role in the regulation of blood volume and pressure. The RAAS process decides the blood pressure, and consequently, it sends back the filtered blood to the heart.
In all this process, if someone has any kidney problems symptoms, they may also get clues from blood pressure. Both High or low blood pressure will get linked to further kidney damages or series of kidney problems.
Kidney Function and Blood Pressure –
Kidney patients must follow a proper diet to avoid saturation of Creatinine, Uric acids, or potassium. Because high blood pressure enters the kidney, and due to high blood pressure, small capillaries will get damaged, and kidney functioning will change. Look below explanations
High Blood Pressure and Kidney Failure –
The kidneys’ nephrons are supplied with a dense network of blood vessels, and high volumes of blood flow through them. Over time, uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause arteries around the kidneys to narrow, weaken, or harden. These damaged arteries are not able to deliver enough blood to the kidney tissue.
- Damaged kidney arteries do not filter blood well – Kidneys have small, finger-like nephrons that filter our blood. Each nephron receives it’s blood supply through tiny hair-like capillaries, the smallest of all blood vessels. When the arteries become damaged, the nephrons do not receive the oxygen and nutrients — and the kidneys lose their functionality to filter blood and regulate the fluid, hormones, acids, and salts in the body.
- Damaged kidneys fail to regulate blood pressure – Healthy kidneys produce a hormone called aldosterone to help the body regulate blood pressure. Kidney damage and uncontrolled high blood pressure each contribute to a negative spiral. As more arteries become blocked and stop functioning, the kidneys eventually fail.
- Due to Diuretic Medicines – Such as Chlorthalidone (Hygroton), Hydrochlorothiazide, or HCTZ (Esidrix, Hydrodiuril, Microzide), Chlorothiazide (Diuril), Indapamide (Lozol), etc. makes kidney patients body to have more sodium, water, and urine to function their kidney properly. But once blood pressure drops, they get started to eat salty foods and once get back to a High level of blood pressure. It is most common in human nature. Try to avoid such situations. Otherwise, you will damage your kidneys permanently.
High Blood Pressure and Kidneys Symptoms
Our kidney function and blood pressure are mutually co-related. Without a steady flow of blood, the kidney can’t perform very well about blood filtration. Even high circulation of blood in kidneys may lead to damage to kidneys.
It means that nephrons will perform less filtration process through its capillaries. They may even make less purification unwanted wastes, and toxic substances may get saturated in one place.
Read this – 3 Painless Symptoms of Kidneys, not Filtering.
It may spread infections in the kidney as well as in the ureter duct. Also, you may see some long term series of kidney problems. As these problems, you may not find it slowly, or you can’t feel anything problematic. But suddenly it appears, and your kidney will get failed within a few hours or days.
Some of the symptoms are as below,
- High or Concerning blood pressure
- Difficulties in Urinating
- A decrease in the amount of urination
- Edema (fluid retention), mainly in the lower legs.
- Sudden Increase and Decrease in Blood pressure.
Conclusive words
Above, we have seen a simplified way for How do the kidneys help regulate blood pressure. The regulation of blood volume and blood pressure is related to renin, which is exclusively produced in kidneys.
The process of RAAS and other functionality of blood filtration, conditions of blood capillaries during blood pressure, and it’s circulation explained the fundamental relation of how our kidneys help regulate blood pressure.
Also, at some stages, improper diet and continuous consumption of diuretic medicines lead to the risk of kidney failure. We should know the So-called quote, “Prevention is better than Cure.” Before going to late. Wake up, and do as per doctors advice.
FAQs –
What part of the kidney regulates blood pressure?
The well-known enzyme called renin is responsible for controlling and regulating blood pressure and blood volume in our body. It is also known as angiotensinogenase. It participates in the RAAS mechanism, as mentioned above.
What factors regulate blood pressure?
- The viscosity of blood.
- The volume of circulating blood.
- The Acidity of Blood
- The pressure exerted within Arteries, Veins & Vessels
- The elasticity of vessels walls
- Amount of Renin secretion in kidneys etc
How do kidneys cause hypertension?
As the increased levels of sodium increase the Osmotic potential of the blood, it attracts more water. Consequently, it retains more water and sodium, which further increases high blood pressure, and on ignorance, it may also lead to hypertension. The leading cause of getting hypertension is due to excess use of Diuretic medications. For more details, refer to the above-given article.
Is High Blood Pressure a symptom of kidney disease?
Yes. 80% chances could get matched with kidney disease as our oxygenated blood gets filtered in kidneys. If high pressured blood flows through kidneys, it’s filtering units like nephrons and their capillaries may get damage, and further, they fail to function correctly.
Consequently, a saturation of wastes, toxins get started in one place, and urine formation may decrease. Further, you may face urinary infection, kidney infection, or even kidney stone like situations also.
What fruit is good for kidneys as well as for Blood Pressure?
Most probably, juicy fruits like Apple, Citrus fruits, Onions.
Eat more Cucumber, Blueberries, etc. And at my side, I recommend drinking Luke warm water as much as you can, which helps you regulate both kidney and blood pressure. After a few months, your weight and body get a balanced only drink of lukewarm water.
Do kidneys regulate blood pH?
Yes. Kidneys play a prominent role in regulating and maintaining blood pH also, and we called it acid-base homeostasis. It is a complex synergy involving three organs (lungs, kidneys, and brain).
