Kidney failure and heart failure
Your kidneys remove wastes and extra water from your blood to form urine. Kidney failure is reduced function or complete shutdown of your kidneys.
Kidney failure is a common and serious condition in people with advanced heart failure. Your kidneys need oxygen-rich blood to function properly. When heart failure causes reduced kidney function, it is because not enough blood is being pumped to your kidneys. Blood needs to pass through your kidneys to remove wastes that otherwise would build up in the bloodstream. When your kidneys don't get enough blood through them, wastes begin to build up in the body.
Some of the major causes of heart failure, such as high blood pressure (hypertension) and atherosclerosis, can also contribute to kidney failure. In addition, many drugs used to treat heart failure can also affect kidney function.
Kidney failure can make treatment of heart failure more difficult, because certain medicines may build up in the bloodstream. Some medicines (such as digoxin) are eliminated primarily by the kidneys.
| Author: | Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: September 1, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology | |
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