Renal Artery Stenosis Symptoms

Renal Artery Stenosis occurs when the renal artery (the artery that branches from the heart to the kidneys) begins to narrow and block the blood flow to the kidneys. Other problems that can occur from renal artery stenosis are elevated blood pressure and kidney failure. This can potentially be a life-threatening condition.

Causes

• Atherosclerosis is the main cause of renal artery stenosis. This occurs when the blood vessel walls begin to narrow and harden. Other causes that lead to renal artery stenosis are diabetes, smoking, age and high cholesterol levels. There are two forms of renal artery stenosis: unilateral and bilateral. Unilateral is where only one side of the renal artery is narrowing to one of the kidneys. This condition leads to severe hypertension. If not treated, the hypertension can affect the other kidney. When both sides of the artery are narrowing (bilateral), it will lead to kidney failure. It has been found that renal artery stenosis is the number-one cause of renovascular hypertension or RVHT.

Symptoms

• There are several indicators that you might have renal artery stenosis. Water retention is one symptom. The areas affected when you are retaining fluids are the hands, face, legs and in the feet. These areas will have a swollen appearance. High blood pressure can also be an indication. Other things to watch for are a noticeable decrease or foaminess in your urine, and becoming easily out of breath. There are also some people that have flash pulmonary edema (FPE), which is when the lungs begin to fill with fluid rapidly because the heart is not circulating it.

Age Group

• Renal artery stenosis is most often found in people over the age of 50. This group is more likely to have atherosclerosis, or narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels. People under the age of 50 usually develop renal artery stenosis due to fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), which is a disease that causes the arteries in the kidneys to become blocked. FMD is more common in women rather than men.

Diagnosis

• There are several tests that are used to diagnose renal artery stenosis. One of the most common and accurate tests available is an angiogram. The angiogram shows an x-ray view of the blood vessels. Other tests that are used for dianosis are the MRA, CAT scan and ultrasound. There are also functional tests that are use in combination with the x-rays to ensure accuracy, and these tests include performing a renogram, or a renin activity test.

Treatment

• The first step in treating renal artery stenosis is being prescribed hypertension medications to gain control of the blood pressure. Other forms of treatment may include surgery to dilate the arteries, and the use of diuretics to reduce fluid retention. There are some cases where no medication is given. These individuals have renal artery stenosis, but do not have high blood pressure or are not showing stress or damage to the kidneys.

After Care

• Follow up with your doctor. Once the treatment for RAS has been administered, it is critical to be tested to make sure that your blood pressure, creatinine levels and potassium levels stay within a normal range.