One might wonder why a kidney specialist is an expert in investigation and management of high blood pressure. In fact, treating high blood pressure is the "bread and butter" of being a nephrologist. High blood pressure is both the cause of, and caused by kidney disease. 

Dr Game has expertise in hypertension: he lectures on cardiovascular risk factors and kidney disease to medical students and GPs. He co- authored a chapter on one of the main drivers of high blood pressure in the world famous textbook Brenner and Rector's the Kidney. 

Most hypertension is "primary" i.e. a combination of a complex interaction between lots of different inherited genes and the environment. Some people have secondary hypertension, e.g. caused by over secretion of a hormone or vascular disease. Dr Game will exclude secondary hypertension and will also be able to tailor the treatment of high blood pressure on an individual basis. 

For the NICE hypertension pathway click here. The latest British Hypertension Society Guidelines can be found here. 

Please note that renal denervation is not currently available for the treatment of resistant hypertension in the private sector or NHS pending a review of the sham-controlled Simplicity-3 trial suggesting no beneficial effect of this procedure.