Renal Artery Stenosis

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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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• Renal Artery Stenosis Overview
• Renal Artery Stenosis Risk Factors and Causes
• Renal Artery Stenosis Signs and Symptoms
• Exams and Tests
• Renal Artery Stenosis Treatment
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Outlook
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Renal Artery Stenosis Overview

Aside from filtering blood and making urine, the kidneys have other functions. One such function is monitoring blood pressure (performed by special cells called macula densa). Using a chemical messenger called angiotensin, these cells can help adjust blood flow throughout the body and maintain normal blood pressure. The angiotensin acts by increasing muscle tone in small artery walls to help boost blood pressure. Angiotensin also stimulates the release of aldosterone, which helps the body retain sodium and water, increasing the amount of fluid within the blood vessels.

Most people with high blood pressure have essential hypertension (hyper=more + tension=pressure), meaning that the cause of the high blood pressure is unknown. However, one known cause of hypertension  is renal artery stenosis (renal=kidney + stenosis=narrowing).

Each kidney gets its blood flow via a renal artery that arises from the aorta, the major blood vessel from the heart. If one of the renal arteries narrows, it may cause decreased blood flow to the kidney and to the macula densa (the specialized, blood-pressure sensing cells in the kidney). These cells falsely presume that this low blood flow is being experienced by the rest of the body and that overall blood pressure is too low. They respond by increasing secretion of angiotensin, triggering the body's response to increase blood pressure.