Heart Failure and Kidney Disease: What to Know About the Link

You may think that the functions of your heart and your kidneys are completely unrelated, but they’re actually linked.

“The heart and the kidneys are connected in a very complicated way,” says Michelle Bloom, MD, Cardiologist with Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook, New York. “You almost can’t have one functioning well without the other.”

That’s because your heart pumps blood to your entire body, including your organs. If your heart is weakened or not functioning normally, it can affect your kidneys and other organs. In other words, poor blood flow may strain the kidneys, and poor kidney function may strain the heart.

Often the treatments for both heart and kidney conditions may overlap.  Both organs may play a role in determining your blood pressure, affecting your salt and mineral balance, and determining the amount of fluid that your body maintains. These functions help to make sure that your other organs, such as your brain, receive the proper blood supply and nutrients. 

Managing your blood pressure and heart failure with diet, exercise, and medications may help slow the progression of kidney disease. There are even some medications that can help treat both heart failure and kidney function.

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Written by:

Marisa Taylor Karas

Marisa Taylor Karas is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn who has covered health, gender, and technology for 15 years. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera America, among other publications, and also served as managing editor of the Mellon Foundation in New York City.

Reviewed by:

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician. Prior to practicing medicine, she worked as a management consultant.

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