Blood circulates away from the heart through specialized blood vessels known as arteries, reaching every part of the body. The pressure exerted by the blood against the artery walls during each heartbeat is what we measure as blood pressure. This measurement consists of two numbers: the top number, called systolic, represents the pressure when the heart contracts and pumps blood out, while the bottom number, known as diastolic, signifies the pressure when the heart relaxes before the next beat.
When blood pressure reaches elevated levels, it is referred to as hypertension, or high blood pressure. If left untreated, hypertension can inflict damage upon the blood vessels responsible for distributing blood throughout the body, with smaller blood vessels typically being the first to suffer. Among these vessels are the small blood vessels within the kidneys, which can be adversely affected by high blood pressure, potentially leading to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This becomes especially problematic as one of the primary functions of the kidneys is to regulate blood pressure. The kidneys produce renin, a hormone, and when they are not functioning correctly, they may release excessive renin, further exacerbating high blood pressure.
