Does high blood pressure or high sugar damage the kidneys more?

The kidneys are the organs that filter blood and remove waste from the body. However, two silent but dangerous factors, high blood pressure and high blood sugar, affect kidney function over time.

Of the two factors that damage the kidneys mentioned above, prolonged high blood sugar often leaves more serious consequences, according to The Indian Express (India).

High blood pressure silently damages blood vessels in the kidneys

According to Mr. Parin Sangoi, a cardiologist at Wockhardt Hospital (Mumbai, India), the kidneys act as natural filters, depending on healthy and elastic blood vessels.

When blood pressure is high for a long time, these blood vessels are damaged, causing the kidneys to no longer filter blood as effectively as usual. This damage occurs silently, accumulating over many years before the patient can notice symptoms.

When blood pressure is high for a long time, these blood vessels become damaged, causing the kidneys to no longer filter blood as effectively as normal.

Photo: AI

Long-term high blood pressure puts constant pressure on the small blood vessels inside the kidneys. Over time, these vessels become stiff and narrow, reducing their ability to filter waste and balance fluids in the body. If left unchecked, this condition can lead to chronic kidney disease, one of the leading causes of kidney failure and kidney transplants.

Patients need to monitor their blood pressure regularly, take medication as directed by their doctor, maintain a low-salt diet (less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day, equivalent to about 5 grams of salt), exercise regularly, not smoke, and control blood sugar if they have diabetes.

High blood sugar overloads the kidneys and gradually weakens them.

Meanwhile, prolonged high blood sugar also puts great pressure on the kidneys.

Mr. Vijay Negalur, Head of the Diabetes Department at KIMS Hospital (Thane, India), said that when blood sugar levels increase, the kidneys have to work harder to filter and remove excess sugar.

When blood sugar levels are high, the kidneys have to work harder to filter and remove excess sugar.

Photo: AI

This sugar puts pressure on the small capillaries inside the kidneys, weakening them and reducing their ability to filter blood. When the kidneys are damaged, proteins in the blood can leak into the urine, a sign that the kidneys are under too much pressure. If this continues for a long time, it can lead to diabetic kidney disease, in which the kidneys' filtering function gradually decreases over time.

To protect the kidneys, maintaining stable blood sugar is key. Patients should eat in moderation, avoiding consuming too much food containing refined sugar, candy, soft drinks and processed products.

Added sugar intake should not exceed 25 grams per day, which is about 6 teaspoons.

High blood sugar causes kidney damage to progress more rapidly.

According to Dr. Negalur, both high blood pressure and high blood sugar damage the kidneys, but prolonged high blood sugar often causes more direct damage and progresses more quickly.

Uncontrolled diabetes over many years permanently damages the kidney's glomeruli. This process is silent and painless, but leads to end-stage diabetic kidney disease, forcing the patient to rely on dialysis.

Dr. Negalur recommends that simultaneous control of blood sugar and blood pressure is crucial to protect kidney function.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/high-blood-pressure-hay-high-sugar-levels-gay-hai-than-nhieu-hon-185251110160753321.htm