FCHC Heart & Vascular Hypertension Clinic

Phone: 419-330-3315

FCHC Heart & Vascular Hypertension Clinic provides leading-edge diagnosis and treatment for the full spectrum of hypertensive disorders. We have expertise in treating hypertensive disorders including:

• Complex hypertension
• Adrenal hypertension (from aldosterone and catecholamine excess)
• Renovascular disease
• Drug-resistant hypertension
• Genetic disorders associated with elevated blood pressure
• Hypertension associated with reduced kidney function
• Neuroendocrine tumors

What Is Hypertension?

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition characterized by elevated blood pressure in the arteries. Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading, and refers to the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats or contracts. Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number, and refers to the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats. When blood pressure is high it can be very dangerous, contributing to a variety of health problems including:

• Heart disease/ coronary artery disease
• Stroke
• Chronic kidney disease
• Peripheral artery disease
• Aneurysms

Treatment for Hypertension

At FCHC Heart & Vascular, our Clinical Hypertension Specialists work in a multidisciplinary manner to create individualized treatment plans for every patient. Typical treatments include medication and changes in diet and lifestyle as well as renal denervation.  FCHC was the first hospital in the tristate area to offer this advanced treatment option to care for patients with resistant and difficult to control hypertension.

Renal Denervation?

Renal denervation is a minimally invasive, FDA approved procedure to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) that has not improved with other treatments. This type of hypertension is called resistant hypertension.

Your brain, heart and kidneys send messages to nerves throughout your body to help regulate your blood pressure. Over activity in these nerves can increase your blood pressure. Renal denervation reduces activity in the renal nerves in the kidneys to help lower blood pressure.

Our interventional cardiologist uses a catheter to send ultrasound or radiofrequency (heat) energy to the renal arteries, the blood vessels supplying blood to the kidneys. This energy destroys (ablates) renal nerves without damaging the arteries. The reduced nerve activity causes a drop in blood pressure.

Your provider may recommend renal denervation if you have resistant hypertension.

Diet and Lifestyle Changes

Diet and lifestyle changes are critical to managing high blood pressure.  FCHC has special services such as a medical weight management clinic and dieticians to assist patients in controlling their blood pressure. Lifestyle changes to control or prevent hypertension include:

• Dietary approaches to stop hypertension such as the DASH diet which consists of nutrient rich foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low sodium, low saturated fat and low in dairy
• Smoking cessation
• Eliminating alcohol
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Exercise
• Stress management

Medications

Careful balancing and monitoring of medications is extremely important in each individual patient. Medications to manage hypertension may include:

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
• Diuretics
• Beta-blockers
• Calcium channel blockers
• Alpha-blockers
• Alpha-agonists
• Renin inhibitors
• Combination medications