Renovascular and renal parenchymal arterial hypertension: clinical considerations

Abstract

Parenchymal renal disease (PRD) is the main cause of secondary arterial hypertension (AH) and renovascular (RV) AH is the leading cause of potentially curable hypertension. On the other hand, primary AH is frequently responsible for progressive renal disease, as well as damages in other target organs. When hypertension develops as a result of renal disease, it is the predominant risk factor for accelerated loss of renal function. In Venezuela, the prevalence of AH has been estimated between 8.1% and 23.58% in the general population, but the prevalence of secondary AH due to PRD or RV disease is not known. In this review article that has been made in view of the importance of the subject, we present some clinical and epidemiological considerations about these two forms of AH, based upon current bibliographic data in the field and also in some experience that we have acquired from the management of in-patients with such pathologies, who were attended in a public hospital in Venezuela in the last 20 years.