Today’s Kidney Diet Cookbooks
Get free kidney-friendly recipe collections from DaVita dietitians.
Today’s Kidney Diet Cookbooks
Get free kidney-friendly recipe collections from DaVita dietitians.
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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the leading causes of kidney disease. Many people with high blood pressure need medicine to help lower blood pressure, which also helps to slow the progression of kidney disease. Two groups of medicines that lower blood pressure are:
ACE inhibitors and ARBs lower blood pressure, which also helps to slow kidney damage. Some people may need to take a combination of two or more blood pressure medicines to stay below 130/80.
ACE inhibitors and ARBs are the two main groups of medicines used to treat high blood pressure. However, sometimes other medicines are needed in combination with ACE inhibitors and ARBs to get blood pressure down to a healthy level. The following list shows the major types of commonly used drugs for treating high blood pressure.
Type of drug |
What is does |
Diuretics |
Rid the body of excess water, helping to lower blood pressure. |
Potassium-sparing diuretics |
Prevent potassium loss in the body. They can be prescribed alone or used with another diuretic. |
Beta-blockers |
Reduce the heart rate and the heart’s output of blood. Note: asthmatics and people with poor circulation cannot use beta-blockers. Some beta-blockers cause insomnia, fatigue, depression and cold hands and feet. |
AIIR antagonists |
Can be used if ACE inhibitors cause side effects. Requires blood tests to monitor side effects. |
Alpha-blockers |
Useful as a second or third drug to further reduce blood pressure. |
Calcium channel blockers |
Added to other therapy to further reduce blood pressure. Some may cause a rapid heartbeat, swollen ankles, constipation, headache or dizziness. |
Centrally acting drugs |
May cause side effects, but is it’s safe during pregnancy. |
In addition to taking medicine that's prescribed by your physician, the following lifestyle changes may help control blood pressure:
To learn more about managing your blood pressure medications, contact DaVita Rx®. If you think a loved one should know their risk for kidney disease because of high blood pressure, encourage them to take the Risk Quiz today.