HC411R - Renal Artery Stenosis

Deb: This is HC 411...

It’s the most common cause of correctable high blood pressure. We’ll talk about RAS...after this.

[PSA]

(baby crying)

Narrator:  If you’re pregnant and you smoke, you need to know that your risk of your baby being born too small is one and a half to three and a half times greater.  By quitting now, your baby has a better chance to be born at a normal weight and to have healthy lungs.  But it’s also important for you to stay smoke free after your baby’s born.  For free materials on quitting or to speak to a quit coach, call the National Quitline at 1-800 QUIT NOW.  A message from the U.S. Public Health Service.

[End PSA]

Deb: This is HC 411.

Deb: Renal artery stenosis or RAS -  is caused by a narrowing of one or both of the blood vessels that carry blood to the kidneys.

Dr. Balk: Narrowed renal arteries make it harder for the kidneys to work, which can lead to high blood pressure, kidney damage, and heart disease.

Deb: Dr. Ethan Balk, Associate Director of the Tufts-New England Medical Center Evidence-based Practice Center created a consumer guide based on current clinical evidence to help people with RAS understand the disease and discuss options with their health care providers.

Dr. Balk:  In most cases, the narrowing is caused by a buildup of fats and cholesterol on the walls of the renal arteries.  Over time the blocked arteries cause RAS.

Deb: Who typically gets R-A-S?

Dr. Balk: RAS usually happens in people who also have problems with blocked arteries in other places, like their legs or heart. RAS can be treated with medication alone or by opening the blockage with a balloon.

Deb: How does a patient decide which treatment plan is best?

Dr. Balk: At this point, there is no clear evidence about the best way to treat RAS for everybody, and there are risks and benefits to each. The individual treatment plans need to be decided by the patients and their doctors.

Deb: To get a copy of the consumer guide, go to effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/reports. To learn more about this and dozens of other health topics, go the www.Healthcare411.org.  I’m Debra James.  Healthcare 411 is produced by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.