New research from the Medical University of Vienna has revealed something important: high blood pressure can directly damage the kidneys—even in people who don’t have diabetes.
This adds to our understanding of kidney disease and shows why it’s so important to catch and treat high blood pressure early.
The kidneys act like filters in the body. They clean the blood by removing waste and extra fluid. Inside the kidneys are tiny parts called glomeruli, which contain special cells called podocytes. These podocytes help filter the blood properly. If these cells are damaged, the kidneys can’t do their job well, and this can lead to chronic kidney disease.
Until now, many experts believed that high blood pressure caused kidney damage mostly when combined with other problems like type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is known to be a major cause of kidney issues.
But this new study, published in the journal Hypertension, shows that high blood pressure alone can begin harming the kidneys—even in people who seem otherwise healthy.
To find this out, researchers looked at kidney tissue from 99 people who had surgery to remove kidney tumors. They studied parts of the kidneys that were not affected by cancer. Some of these people had high blood pressure, some had diabetes, and some had neither. This allowed the team to compare the effects of each condition.
They used powerful imaging tools and artificial intelligence to study the kidney tissues closely. A special computer program looked at the number and size of the podocytes and the size of the glomeruli. This gave researchers a very detailed picture of what was happening at the microscopic level.
The results were clear: people with high blood pressure had fewer podocytes and changes in the shape of these cells—even if they didn’t have diabetes. This means high blood pressure on its own can start damaging the kidneys early on, long before any symptoms appear.
Dr. Christopher Paschen, the first author of the study, said this discovery is very important. It proves that high blood pressure can silently harm the kidneys without any help from diabetes or other health problems.
The study leaders also said that this damage can go unnoticed unless doctors screen for it early. If caught in time, it might be possible to stop or slow down the damage.
High blood pressure and diabetes are the two biggest causes of chronic kidney disease worldwide. While many people know how dangerous diabetes can be for the kidneys, fewer people realize that high blood pressure can be just as harmful—especially because the damage may happen quietly over time.
This study suggests that doctors should check kidney health more closely in people with high blood pressure, even if they don’t have other risk factors. Simple steps like lowering blood pressure through healthy habits or medication could help protect the kidneys from long-term harm.
In short, high blood pressure isn’t just bad for your heart—it can also quietly damage your kidneys. With early screening and proper care, many people could avoid serious kidney problems in the future.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about This drug combo can treat type 2 diabetes in the long run effectively and findings of Eating fewer than 3 meals a day may help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
For more about diabetes, please read studies about How to choosing the right fruits for type 2 diabetes and findings of New higher dose diabetes drug promises better blood sugar control and weight loss.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
