New research from the Medical University of Vienna has found that high blood pressure can directly cause structural damage to the kidneys—even in people without diabetes.
This discovery adds to our understanding of how early damage to the kidneys can begin, and highlights the importance of identifying and treating high blood pressure as early as possible to prevent long-term harm.
The study, published in the journal Hypertension, focused on the effects of high blood pressure (also called arterial hypertension) on podocytes—specialized cells in the kidneys that are crucial for filtering waste from the blood.
Podocytes are located in structures called glomeruli, which make up the kidney’s filtration system. Damage to these cells can lead to impaired kidney function and eventually chronic kidney disease.
Until now, it was unclear whether high blood pressure alone could cause structural changes to podocytes, or if damage only occurred when paired with other conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a well-known cause of kidney damage, but this study shows that high blood pressure may also play a harmful role on its own.
Researchers analyzed kidney tissue from 99 patients who had undergone tumor nephrectomies, surgeries in which all or part of a kidney is removed to treat a tumor.
They selected healthy areas of the kidneys not affected by tumors for analysis. The tissue samples came from individuals with and without hypertension and diabetes, giving researchers a chance to compare the effects of each condition.
To conduct their analysis, the team used advanced imaging techniques and artificial intelligence. A specially trained deep-learning algorithm analyzed digital images of the kidney tissues, measuring the size and number of podocytes, as well as the volume of the glomeruli. This allowed for a very detailed look at subtle changes that might not be visible through standard methods.
The results were clear. People with high blood pressure had fewer podocytes and enlarged podocyte nuclei compared to those without high blood pressure. These changes were present even in patients without diabetes, showing that hypertension alone can cause early signs of kidney damage.
These cellular changes are likely among the first warning signs that the kidney’s filtering function is becoming impaired—long before any symptoms appear.
“This is significant,” said first author Dr. Christopher Paschen. “We now know that high blood pressure can cause damage at the microscopic level in kidneys, even if the patient doesn’t have diabetes or other known risk factors.” Study leaders Rainer Oberbauer and Heinz Regele added that this type of damage might go unnoticed without early screening, but if caught early, the progression to serious kidney disease could be slowed or even prevented.
High blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are two of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD). While the damage caused by diabetes is well established, this study offers new insights into how high blood pressure alone can be a silent threat to kidney health. It also shows that early damage can occur even in patients who may appear healthy and have no symptoms.
The findings suggest that healthcare providers should consider more proactive monitoring of kidney health in patients with high blood pressure, even if they don’t have diabetes. Early intervention—such as controlling blood pressure through lifestyle changes or medication—could make a major difference in preventing irreversible kidney damage.
In summary, this study highlights the importance of recognizing high blood pressure as not just a heart risk, but also a potential early driver of kidney disease. With better awareness and early screening, it may be possible to protect kidney function and reduce the burden of chronic kidney disease in millions of people worldwide.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more health information, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
The research findings can be found in Hypertension.
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