High Blood Pressure in the Patient Without Diabetes. Should We Be Concerned with Hidden Renal Illness

Objective: 1) To identify the state of renal function in the hypertensive patient without diabetes followed habitually by means of consultation with a primary-care physician, and 2) to know the incidence of hidden renal illness in these patients. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional and descriptive study. The selected sample was composed of 102 patients diagnosed with high blood pressure without diabetes, who were followed-up habitually in consultations provided by the Arterial Hypertension Program. The following variables were recognized: Age; sex; weight; height; body mass index (BMI); waist circumference; measurements of the most recent three blood pressure (BP) determinations (systolic and diastolic); other cardiovascular-risk factors; creatinine in plasma, and albumin/creatinine index in urine sample. Renal function evaluation was completed by means of estimating creatinine clearance through use of the abbreviated Crockroft-Gault formula. Results: A total of 34.31% of patients (35 patients) showed a creatinine clearance of 90 ml/min in 11.76% of patients (12 patients). Prevalence of hidden renal disease was present in 29.41% of patients (30 patients). BP showed figures of >140/90 mmHg Hg in 18 patients (17.65%). This was <120/80 mmHg in 24 patients (23.6% of patients). Sixty patients (58.8% of patients) showed numbers between 120/80 and 140/90 mmHg. (58.8%). Conclusions: The prevalence of hidden renal illness is important. Nearly one third of the hypertensive patients in our work presented chronic stage-3 renal disease.