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 what medications can damage your kidneys?

Long-term usage of ACE inhibitors and other routinely prescribed medicines for high blood pressure and heart failure may be leading to kidney damage, according to new kidney research.

Long-term usage of medicines widely recommended to treat high blood pressure and heart failure may be contributing to kidney damage, according to new kidney research from the University Of Virginia School Of Medicine.

The medications, including the well-known and frequently used ACE inhibitors, should be continued, according to the researchers. However, scientists are advocating more research into the medications' long-term impacts.

"The harm is caused by renin-producing cells, according to our findings. We're now trying to figure out how these cells, which are so vital for protecting us from blood pressure decreases and maintaining our health, go through such a change and cause kidney damage."

Maria Luisa Sequeira Lopez, MD, of the University of Virginia's Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Research Center, agreed. "What we need to do now is figure out what molecules these cells produce that cause uncontrolled vascular formation."

Kidney Damage: What Causes It?

A billion people worldwide suffer from chronic high blood pressure. The UVA researchers wanted to know why severe forms of the disease are frequently accompanied by thickening of the arteries and small blood veins in the kidney, which can lead to organ damage.

Renin cells, which are specialized kidney cells, were discovered to perform a vital function. Renin, a key hormone that helps the body control blood pressure, is routinely produced by these cells. However, detrimental modifications in the renin cells might cause the cells to penetrate the blood vessel walls of the kidney. Renin cells then produce a buildup of another cell type, smooth muscle cells, which thicken and stiffen the arteries. As a result, blood cannot flow as freely as it should through the kidney.

Long-term use of medications that inhibit the renin-angiotensin system, such as ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, has a comparable effect, according to the study. These medications are commonly used to treat excessive blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and heart attacks, as well as to prevent serious heart issues. Long-term use of the medications, however, was linked to hardened kidney arteries in both lab mice and humans, according to the researchers.

The researchers emphasize the necessity of continuing to take the drugs because they can save patients' lives. They do, however, believe that further research is needed to better understand the medications' long-term effects on the kidneys.

 

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