Home > Encyclopedia of Medicine > Renovascular Hypertension

Definition

Renovascular hypertension is a secondary form of high blood pressure caused by a narrowing of the renal artery.

Description

Primary hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects millions of Americans. It accounts for over 90% of all cases of hypertension and develops without apparent causes. It is helpful for the clinician to know if a secondary disease ease is present and may be contributing to the high pressure. If clinical tests indicate this is so, the term used for the rise in blood pressure is secondary hypertension.

Renal hypertension is the most common form of secondary hypertension and affects no more than one percent of all adults with primary hypertension. There are two forms of renovascular hypertension.

In atherosclerotic renovascular hypertension disease, plaque is deposited in the renal artery. The...