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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you need to look out for your heart in more ways than one. While heartbreak may come and go, an unhealthy heart affects the health of the rest of your body. From your lungs to your brain to that baby toe you stub on the coffee table, they all rely on the blood that pumps through your body to function. Another organ that really relies on your heart to be in top condition is your kidneys.

Your heart and kidneys are two important organs that work together to keep your body functioning. Having cardiovascular issues can strain your kidneys and vice versa, having kidney disease can cause heart issues. Renal vascular disease, including high blood pressure, is one of the leading causes of kidney disease. High blood pressure can deteriorate the health and longevity of your kidneys. 

When a person’s blood pressure is too high, it affects the structure and the function of the small arteries found in the kidney, which in turn diminishes blood flow through the kidneys for filtration to happen. The more plaque that your arteries build up, the smaller the space in the arteries for blood to flow. This however does not slow down the flow, it only increases the pressure, making your heart pump faster in order to get that needed blood to the rest of your body. The result is high blood pressure. 

High blood pressure and kidney disease have another thing in common; they both have no early signs or symptoms, making them very dangerous and serious diseases. If you want to take care of your kidneys you have to take care of your heart as well and control your blood pressure by making lifestyle modifications and/or treating it with medication. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind to improve your heart and kidney health:

• Talk to your doctor to see if you’re at risk
• Eat a balanced, kidney and heart healthy diet 
• Increase your physical activity
• Quit smoking and/or vaping 
• Watch/moderate your alcohol intake  
• Reduce your stress and take time to relax

Protect your physical heart like you would your emotional heart and do what you can to have a healthy kidney and strong heart.