Studies show that the established pharmaceutical strategies for controlling high blood pressure produce a meaningful reduction in mortality risk, even though they do nothing to repair or reverse the underlying cell and tissue damage that causes hypertension. This outcome is possible because the raised blood pressure of hypertension is very damaging in and of itself, harming vital tissues throughout the body. The kidney is particular vulnerable to pressure damage, as researchers note here.
Researchers analysed kidney tissue from a total of 99 patients who either suffered from high blood pressure (arterial hypertension) and type 2 diabetes or did not have either of the two conditions. The investigation was conducted on unaffected renal tissue samples from tumour nephrectomies, a surgical procedure in which a kidney is removed in whole or in part to treat a kidney tumour.
Using modern imaging and computer-assisted methods, the size and density of the podocytes and the volume of the renal corpuscles (glomeruli) were determined in the tissue samples. Podocytes are specialised cells of the renal corpuscles (glomeruli) that play a crucial role in the filtering function of the kidney. Their size and density are important indicators of the health of the kidney tissue. Artificial intelligence in the form of deep-learning-based image analysis was used for the analysis. With the help of a specially trained algorithm, digital tissue sections were automatically analysed to precisely capture the structure of podocytes and glomeruli.
The results show that patients with hypertension have a reduced density of podocytes compared to healthy controls and that their cell nuclei are enlarged compared to those of healthy controls. These changes occurred independently of the additional diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and likely represent the first microscopically visible step towards impaired renal function. The study authors see this as an indication that high blood pressure can cause structural damage to the kidneys at an early stage and before clinical symptoms appear.
View the full article at FightAging
