Now's the time that we need to share, so find yourself, we're on our way back home

Oh. Wow. I just learned something interesting while researching for another post.

Did you know that if you have high blood pressure, you're at risk for chronic kidney disease? This comes as a surprise to me, though thinking on it, it probably shouldn't. I have hereditary hypertension, which, left uncontrolled, could cause me more problems than just the heart attack my doctor lectured me about!

Let's go back for a minute to how your kidneys work.

All of your blood circulates through your kidneys - in from an artery, through millions of teeny little filters, and out again through the veins. If your blood pressure is too high, though, your kidneys can become damaged from the excess pressure. (And, if your kidneys are damaged, they can't help regulate your blood pressure, which is one of their important functions. Yikes!) The higher your blood pressure, the harder your kidneys have to work, and vice versa.

So what can you do if you're hypertensive to keep your kidneys from becoming damaged?

-- Reduce your salt intake! You don't have to get rid of it entirely, but cut way, way back.
-- Exercise and drop a couple pounds.
-- Lay off the junk food.
-- Don't smoke
-- Get that blood pressure under control - see your doctor about a medication that's right for you.

You're not just protecting your heart when you get your blood pressure down, you're protecting your kidneys, too.