Many people with kidney disease also suffer from high blood pressure at the same time. This often persists after the transplant. Sometimes a deterioration in blood pressure also affects the function of your new kidney. In this article you will find medically proven answers to the most important questions about blood pressure and transplantation.
Nowadays everyone knows that a healthy blood pressure is a very important component of our health. But what does blood pressure have to do with the kidneys? A great deal! Our kidneys are very important for the regulation of blood pressure, in addition to numerous other functions that are essential for survival. If the kidneys no longer function properly, this can lead to high blood pressure before or after transplantation. High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. This in turn can lead to a further reduction in kidney function - even in your new kidney. But what exactly is blood pressure and what do you have to watch out for after the transplant? We give you important information and help you to get your blood pressure under control.
What exactly is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the dominant pressure in your blood vessels. In most cases, this means the arterial blood pressure in the large arteries, which can be measured using a simple blood pressure cuff, but in principle it can of course also be measured in various sections of the vascular system. As you surely know, blood pressure is always indicated by two numerical values: The first value is the maximum pressure that occurs in the aorta when the heart pumps blood out of the left ventricle. This value is also called systolic blood pressure. The second value indicates the minimum pressure that can be measured in the aorta when the heart is not pumping blood out of the left ventricle - the so-called diastolic blood pressure. By the way, the unit of measurement for blood pressure is milliliter of mercury (mmHg). In everyday life, we usually measure the pressure in the artery of the left upper arm. This value is usually sufficient for blood pressure adjustment.
Is my blood pressure the same all day?
Your blood pressure fluctuates naturally depending on what you are doing. So it changes throughout the day. It is usually lowest at night, or immediately after waking up. During physical or emotional stress, our blood pressure rises. Blood pressure fluctuations within normal limits are quite normal. It becomes particularly alarming when the systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure shows constantly high values even at rest.
What does high blood pressure mean?
Good or normal blood pressure is defined as a maximum of 129 mmHg (systolic) or 84 mmHg (diastolic) in people with healthy kidneys. If the systolic values are between 130-139 mmHg or the diastolic values between 85-89 mmHg, we speak of high-normal blood pressure, and if the values are at least 140 mmHg systolic or at least 90 mmHg diastolic, we speak of level 1 or higher hypertension.
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What are possible causes of hypertension?
Naming a specific cause for hypertension can be difficult. If the cause cannot be determined precisely, it is referred to as essential or primary hypertension. In this case, unhealthy lifestyle factors such as smoking, frequent alcohol consumption, stress, obesity, high salt consumption and too little exercise are mainly assumed to be the cause. You should then strive to make changes in your diet and general lifestyle accordingly. If, on the other hand, there is a clearly identifiable cause, this is called secondary arterial hypertension. Several factors can be the cause of this, which you can then take targeted action against. These include:
- Hormonal disorders of the thyroid gland
- Disorders of the adrenal cortex
- Narrowing of the renal vessels and disorders of renal function
- Sleep apnea
- Hereditary factors
What should my blood pressure be after transplant?
Many things can change your blood pressure. Very important is your fluid balance, which cannot be well controlled by your body as kidney disease progresses. If your new kidney works well after the transplant, your fluid balance should also work again and not be a problem for your blood pressure.
In addition to your fluid balance, salt also plays an important role. If your medical team asks you to eat low-salt foods when you have kidney disease or after a transplant, it's because salt binds fluid in your body and can drive up your blood pressure. Similar to healthy people, your post-transplant blood pressure should be below 130 mmHg systolic and 80 mmHg diastolic, according to KDIGO guidelines. It may be that your nephrologist will orient themselves more on your blood pressure values measured at home.
Why is it so important for blood pressure to be in the green zone?
As mentioned several times now, blood pressure affects your kidney function and therefore your health. Especially after transplantation, you should therefore attach great importance to healthy blood pressure values. This has mainly to do with the function of your new kidney and the health of your cardiovascular system. Long-term high blood pressure in particular damages the entire body and thus also the small blood vessels, the capillaries. This often results in damage to the heart, brain or extremities, for example.
How do I notice that I have high blood pressure?
High blood pressure often goes unnoticed for a long time because there are no typical, unusual symptoms. Therefore, pay more attention to regular signs such as:
- Morning headaches
- Nosebleeds
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Dizziness, ringing in the ears and nausea
How do I get my blood pressure under control?
To ensure a healthy blood pressure in the long term, you should try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This includes:
- Regular exercise
- A healthy diet
- Reducing carbohydrates and sugar
- Low alcohol consumption
- Preventing excessive salt consumption (maximum 5 - 6 grams per day)
- Healthy stress management
Where and how can I get support for high blood pressure?
If you have symptoms or already know that you have elevated blood pressure or high blood pressure, your nephrologist will certainly already have this on his or her radar. It is extremely important for your health that you bring your high blood pressure into a green range. The best way to do this is to regularly document your blood pressure in an analog or digital logbook. The Mizu app can help you with this. The app also contains a lot of other relevant information, tips and tricks on the subject of blood pressure and kidney disease. In general, the ideal blood pressure therapy always consists of a combination of lifestyle changes (exercise, diet, stress, etc.), medicinal measures and regulation of salt intake.
