How common is renal artery stenosis?
Narrowing of the kidney arteries is more common in individuals 50 years of age and older. It is estimated that some degree of narrowing (greater than 50%) is found in about 18% of adults between 65-75 years of age and 42% of those older than 75 years of age. This may be due to the fact that atherosclerosis is more common in this age group. In younger patients, the narrowing of the renal artery usually is due to the thickening of the artery (fibromuscular dysplasia) and it is more common in women than men. It is estimated that renal artery stenosis accounts for approximately 1% of mild to moderate cases of high blood pressure. It may be responsible for more than 10% of cases of severely elevated or difficult to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). What are the symptoms of renal artery stenosis? In general, renal artery stenosis is not associated with any obvious or specific symptoms. Suspicious signs for renal artery stenosis include: • high blood pressure that responds poorly to t
