Renal artery stenosis develops when the main artery supplying blood to the kidney becomes blocked or narrowed. There are several causes of renal artery stenosis but by far the most common is atherosclerosis. Normally, blood flows through the renal artery into the kidney where the blood is filtered to remove waste products that are later excreted as urine. The kidneys also have the ability to sense the blood pressure in the renal artery and secrete a hormone called renin into the bloodstream to help regulate blood pressure. When the main renal artery becomes severely blocked or narrowed the amount of blood flowing to the kidney and the blood pressure in the main renal are reduced. As a result the kidney is not able to filter blood as effectively and the kidney may secrete extra renin in an attempt to raise the body’s blood pressure.
Stent placed to restore blood flow
For more information about Renal Artery Stenosis, or to schedule an appointment, please call (916) 783-8114 (in Roseville) or (916) 732-7777 (in Sacramento).
