How Are The Heart And Kidney Connected ?

Your heart and kidneys are two vital organs in the body. They work closely together to keep you fit and healthy. If something goes wrong with one, the other gets affected too.

So how does the heart and the kidneys function?

The heart supplies oxygenated blood to all parts of your body, including the kidney, through blood vessels.

Kidneys, on the other hand, purify the blood by extracting waste products and excess water in the form of urine.

Without the heart, your kidneys would not be receiving oxygen-filled blood to carry on their functioning. Similarly, if your kidneys stop functioning properly, your heart would be working very hard to supply blood or would stop working completely. Therefore, having a healthy functioning cardiovascular system is essential for the kidneys to do their job.

The Link between Kidney Failure and Heart Failure

When your heart is unable to pump blood efficiently, it becomes congested. As a result, pressure builds up in the veins that connect your heart with the kidneys. Eventually, this leads to congestion of blood in your kidneys too. They do not receive an adequate supply of oxygenated blood, which disrupts the balance of bodily fluids and blood pressure. In order to increase the flow of blood to your kidneys, a series of hormonal reactions are triggered. The arteries become constricted and your body retains water and salt to elevate blood pressure. These actions increase your blood pressure levels drastically and lead to an overload of fluid, which strains your heart and its ability to pump blood, ultimately resulting in heart failure.

Risk Factors

The following are the risk factors for both heart failure and kidney failure –

• High blood pressure

• Diabetes

• Family history of cardiovascular or kidney disorders

• Smoking

The best way to keep your heart and kidney in a good state is to maintain a healthy lifestyle – eat healthily, restrain from ill habits, stay active, and keep stress at bay. You should also get yourself checked every 6 months to keep a track on how well your organs are working.