Hypertensive heart and chronic kidney disease is the most lethal form of hypertension, says Lisa Selman-Holman, JD, BSN, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, consultant and principal of Selman-Holman & Associates in Denton, TX. It commonly damages the intima of small vessels of the brain, the retina, the heart and the kidneys, she says.
More common in African Americans, hypertensive heart and kidney disease is caused by a variety of factors including genetic predisposition, stress, tobacco use, oral contraceptives, increased sodium, sedentary lifestyle, renal disease and aging, Selman-Holman says.