Narrowing of the Kidney Artery and High Blood Pressure (Renal Artery Stenosis)

Sometimes when your blood pressure is difficult to control, it can be due to the narrowing of the artery that supplies the kidney. This occurs frequently in heart patients and patients with vascular disease in their legs.

However, there is another condition that causes blood pressure to be difficult to control especially in younger patients. Fibrous dysplasia of the kidney artery (FMD) can cause issues with high blood pressure. Someone whose blood pressure is perfect most of the time, but sometimes spikes for unknown reasons can experience this condition. 

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James A.M. Smith, DO, is board certified by the American Board of Vascular Medicine and the American College of Osteopathic Internists. He practices cardiovascular medicine and intervention at Kansas Vascular Medicine.