The difference between hypertensive nephropathy and renal hypertension

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on January 30, 2025
00:00
00:00

Hypertensive nephropathy and hypertension due to kidney disease need to be differentiated, as this affects the treatment approach and prognosis assessment differently. Hypertensive nephropathy refers to patients with long-term high blood pressure, which causes arteriosclerosis of small vessels leading to renal pathology. Often, there is also arteriosclerosis in other organs, such as the retinal arteries, which can be confirmed through funduscopic examination. On the other hand, hypertension due to kidney disease occurs when a patient has kidney disease first followed by hypertension, where the causes and types of kidney diseases vary and can frequently lead to hypertension. The difference between the two lies in the sequence of occurrence. Hypertensive nephropathy is characterized by initial high blood pressure and commonly associated with arteriosclerosis in other vessels, which can be preliminarily identified through funduscopic examination. In cases of hypertension due to kidney disease, the patient has other kidney disorders first, followed by hypertension. If a patient's 24-hour urine protein quantification exceeds 2g, it is likely due to kidney disease rather than hypertensive nephropathy. If differentiation remains challenging, kidney biopsy can be performed for further differentiation.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
58sec home-news-image

Is a blood pressure of 180 considered severe?

Blood pressure reaching a systolic level of 180 mmHg is considered severe hypertension, which is quite serious. This type of blood pressure requires active treatment with antihypertensive medications to gradually bring the pressure back to normal levels. This kind of blood pressure often requires the combination of different antihypertensive drugs with various mechanisms of action to effectively control it. It is recommended to select antihypertensive drugs under the guidance of a specialist doctor based on individualized treatment principles, starting with small doses. The reduction in blood pressure should not be too rapid nor should it cause the pressure to drop too low. In addition to standard antihypertensive treatment, long-term adjustments to lifestyle habits and changes to unhealthy behaviors are also necessary. If there are other related cardiovascular risk factors, they should also be actively managed.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhao Li Li
Obstetrics
50sec home-news-image

Causes of pregnancy-induced hypertension

There are many reasons that can lead to the occurrence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Normally, due to reasons related to the mother herself or being under the age of 18 or over 35, the risk of developing hypertensive disorders during pregnancy may increase. Additionally, dietary and environmental influences such as a high-salt diet, excessive fatigue, and mental stress can lead to the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension. In some cases, after the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension, it may trigger diseases in other organ systems, leading to severe issues with the placenta, causing complications such as placental abruption, hypoalbuminemia, and cerebrovascular accidents.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
50sec home-news-image

What can you eat to lower high blood pressure?

Patients with hypertension may experience some reduction in blood pressure by consuming certain vegetables and fruits, such as celery, winter melon, spinach, kiwifruit, hawthorn, and bananas. Additionally, drinking some types of tea, like kuding tea, Eucommia tea, Apocynum tea, and kudzu root tea, can also help lower blood pressure. However, these effects are not very strong and these items should not be relied upon for blood pressure treatment. Patients with hypertension need to adopt standardized treatment methods for long-term blood pressure control, actively improve their lifestyle, and choose appropriate first-line antihypertensive medications for long-term treatment. It is essential to maintain blood pressure control to prevent adverse outcomes caused by hypertension and improve prognosis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
49sec home-news-image

How to monitor blood pressure in hypertensive crisis

If a patient experiences a hypertensive crisis, it is recommended that they use an electrocardiogram monitor. This can effectively monitor changes in the patient's heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse. If there is a rise in blood pressure, it can be immediately observed. The occurrence of a hypertensive crisis is very dangerous and can lead to complications, potentially causing damage to liver and kidney functions, and leading to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. In particular, it is prone to causing cerebral hemorrhage or coronary heart disease. In such cases, it is crucial to actively use antihypertensive drugs to control symptoms. Regarding diet, it is important to maintain a light diet, especially limiting sodium intake, in order to control the phenomenon of high blood pressure in patients.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
57sec home-news-image

Symptoms of Hypertension in Pregnant Women

During pregnancy, if a pregnant woman develops high blood pressure, initially there are no symptoms, because at the beginning the blood pressure just slightly exceeds 140/90mmHg. If the high blood pressure is only temporary, it generally does not affect the woman's body and therefore, she may not experience any symptoms. As the condition progresses, the symptoms of high blood pressure can cause physical harm to the woman, likely damaging the kidneys and causing proteinuria. The loss of protein can lead to edema in women, and as a result, many women's initial symptoms will appear as generalized swelling, which does not improve with rest. By measuring blood pressure and urinary protein, symptoms of hypertension in pregnant women can be detected. In the later stages of the disease, hypertension may sometimes be accompanied by dizziness, indigestion, and mild pain in the lower abdomen, which are all symptoms of hypertension in pregnant women.