Print Overview Renal artery stenosis Enlarge image Close Renal artery stenosis Renal artery stenosis In renal artery stenosis, one or both of the arteries leading to the kidneys becomes narrowed, preventing adequate blood flow to the kidneys. Renal artery stenosis is the narrowing of one or more arteries that carry blood to your kidneys (renal arteries). Narrowing of the arteries prevents enough oxygen-rich blood from reaching your kidneys. Your kidneys need adequate blood flow to help filter waste products and remove excess fluids. Reduced blood flow to your kidneys may injure kidney tissue and increase blood pressure throughout your body.Products & ServicesA Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health BookNewsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital EditionShow more products from Mayo Clinic SymptomsRenal artery stenosis often doesn't cause any signs or symptoms until it's advanced. The condition may be discovered incidentally during testing for something else. Your health care provider may also suspect a problem if you have: High blood pressure that begins suddenly or worsens without explanation High blood pressure that begins before age 30 or after age 50 As renal artery stenosis progresses, other signs and symptoms may include: High blood pressure that's hard to control A whooshing sound as blood flows through a narrowed vessel (bruit), which your doctor hears through a stethoscope placed over your kidneys Elevated protein levels in the urine or other signs of a problem with kidney function Worsening kidney function during treatment for high blood pressure Fluid overload and swelling in your body's tissues Treatment-resistant heart failure When to seek medical adviceMake an appointment with your doctor if you have any persistent signs or symptoms that worry you. Request an appointment CausesThe two main causes of renal artery stenosis include: Buildup on kidney (renal) arteries. Fats, cholesterol and other substances (plaque) can build up in and on your kidney artery walls (atherosclerosis). As these deposits get larger, they can harden, reduce blood flow, cause kidney scarring and eventually narrow the artery. Atherosclerosis occurs in many areas of the body and is the most common cause of renal artery stenosis. Fibromuscular dysplasia. In fibromuscular dysplasia, the muscle in the artery wall doesn't grow as it should. This often begins in childhood. The renal artery can have narrow sections alternating with wider sections, giving a bead-like appearance in images of the artery. The renal artery can narrow so much that the kidney doesn't get enough blood. This can lead to high blood pressure at a young age. This can happen in one or both kidneys. Experts don't know what causes fibromuscular dysplasia, but the condition is more common in women and may be something that's present at birth (congenital). Narrowed kidney arteries and fibromuscular dysplasia can affect other arteries in your body as well as your kidney arteries and cause complications. Rarely, renal artery stenosis results from other conditions such as inflammation of the blood vessels or a growth that develops in your abdomen and presses on your kidneys' arteries. Risk factorsMost cases of renal artery stenosis result from narrowed kidney arteries. Risk factors that make narrowed arteries more likely in your kidneys and other parts of your body include: Aging High blood pressure High cholesterol Diabetes Obesity Smoking and other tobacco use A family history of early heart disease Lack of exercise ComplicationsPossible complications of renal artery stenosis include: High blood pressure Kidney failure, requiring treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant Fluid retention in your legs, causing swollen ankles or feet Shortness of breath due to a sudden buildup of fluid in the lungs By Mayo Clinic Staff Renal artery stenosis care at Mayo Clinic Request an appointment Diagnosis & treatment May 03, 2022 Print Living with renal artery stenosis? Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Heart & Blood Health support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, a patient community. Heart & Blood Health Discussions I have a very high calcium score. What next? 368 Replies Tue, Nov 19, 2024 chevron-right Questions about the Use of a Trelegy Machine 66 Replies Tue, Nov 12, 2024 chevron-right Is Low Diastolic Blood Pressure common with Stage 3 or 4 CKD? 160 Replies Sun, Nov 10, 2024 chevron-right See more discussions Show references Renal artery stenosis. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/renal-artery-stenosis. Accessed Feb. 21, 2020. Ferri FF. Renal artery stenosis. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2020. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Feb. 23, 2020. Yu ASL, et al., eds. Renovascular hypertension and ischemic nephropathy. In: Brenner & Rector's The Kidney. 11th ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Feb. 23, 2020. Hermann SM, et al. Renovascular hypertension. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America. 2019; doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2019.08.007. Textor SC, et al. The role of hypoxia in ischemic chronic kidney disease. Seminars in Nephrology. 2019; doi:10.1016/j.semnephrol.2019.10.008. Textor SC. Treatment of unilateral atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Feb. 23, 2020. Textor SC. Treatment of bilateral atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis or stenosis to a solitary functioning kidney. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Feb. 23, 2020. Gupta R, et al. Renal artery stenosis: New findings from the CORAL trial. Current Cardiology Report. 2017; doi:10.1007/s11886-017-0894-2. Eirin A, et al. Novel therapeutic strategies for renovascular disease. Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension. 2019; doi:10.1097/MNH.0000000000000513. High blood pressure. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/high-blood-pressure. Accessed Feb. 21, 2020. Nguyen H. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. Feb. 14, 2022. Textor SC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. 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