February Is American Heart Month. Check Your Urinary Health As Well.

They might not actually touch each other, but when it comes to your overall health, your heart and urinary system go hand in hand.

Your cardiovascular and urological systems give each other a hand every day, in ways that are crucial to your overall health, studies show. A change in your urinary system, which includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra, might be an early indicator of a problem with your heart or blood vessels. And vice versa. 

This correlation extends to sexual health as well, making February a good time to learn about the relationship. In addition to being the Valentine’s Day month, February is American Heart Month, and a good number of educational resources are available to learn the warning signs of heart disorders, as well as preventive tips.

We’d like to be part of that education, by highlighting the urology-heart wellness connection.

Pump and Flow: 5 Urology Conditions Related to Heart Health

Your cardiovascular system circulates blood, which carries life-sustaining oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. Your urinary system filters waste from the blood as it circulates through the kidneys, which pushes the waste out in urine.

If either of these functions trips up at any point along their important journey, the effect can ripple throughout both systems. Some of the signs of a cardiovascular or urological misfire are loud and clear; some are not as obvious.

Along the urinary tract, five disorders might indicate a problem is lurking in your heart or circulation. Following are the conditions, and their heart-urology links.

Kidney damage – Heart disorders can directly raise the risk of kidney disease. Your heart pumps blood into your kidneys, which clean that blood and turn the excess liquid into urine. This is symbiotic: While your kidneys filter away, they extract needed oxygen and nutrients from the blood, as well. If the heart has trouble pumping, the kidneys might not get enough oxygen and nutrients. If the kidneys weaken and cannot keep pace, your heart could strain. Scientists refer to an interconnection of heart-kidney-metabolic issues as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, which includes heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Kidney stones – Kidney stones and heart conditions share a few of the same causes, including dehydration and calcium. Kidney stones occur when the body lacks enough liquid to flush out salts and minerals in the kidneys, including calcium, so they bind. Research finds that people who repeatedly suffer kidney stones might also have high calcium deposits in their arteries, a factor in heart disease. Also, because water makes up more than 90% of plasma (blood’s liquid component), blood can turn think and sticky when dehydrated, straining the heart. Here’s more information about kidney stone causes and treatments.

Overactive bladder (OAB) – OAB describes a condition in which the bladder involuntarily squeezes out urine, often due to a weak sphincter muscle, enlarged prostate, or miscommunication from the nerves that control the bladder. But studies suggest cardiovascular illness also is a risk factor, according to a report in Renal and Urology News. Turns out, patients with heart disease and OAB share some of the same health issues, such as obesity. Also, some heart medications can make you urinate more or change bladder function. As a result, as many as 50% of heart failure patients also suffer from urinary incontinence and OAB. Learn more about OAB/urinary incontinence.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) – A UTI is an infection from bacteria that works its way into the urethra, bladder, and elsewhere in the urinary tract, causing burning, painful urination. Continuing studies link the infection with a temporary threat of a heart attack or stroke – one study found UTIs raised the chance of stroke by more than three times within 30 days of infection. This is because UTIs trigger inflammation. Ongoing inflammation from recurring UTIs, which affect 25% of women, could damage arterial plaque and make it vulnerable to bursting and clotting. Access here for UTI causes, signs, and treatments.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) – Few urological clues suggest a heart condition as evidently as the inability to keep an erection. Your penis needs blood to become erect, so ED signals a circulation problem. When plaque builds in the arteries and prevents them from fully opening, blood flow from the heart slows. This inability to expand blood vessels is called endothelial dysfunction, and it occurs first in the penis, making ED an early sign of heart disease. ED might also indicate Type 2 diabetes, because high blood sugar can hurt the blood vessels and nerves. Indeed, more than half of men with ED have a history of cardiovascular disease. Find more information about ED here.

5 Ways You Can Give Your Heart and Urinary Health a Hand

If you have signs of any of the above conditions, it’s probably time to consult a doctor. In the meantime, the following practices can improve your heart and urological health.

• Thin your blood with water. Your blood requires water in order to be smoothly pumped from the heart to your entire body. Your muscles, including those in the urinary system, also feed on blood, so stay hydrated during exercise. 
• Put down the salt shaker. One shake is fine, but too much sodium can collect in your blood and pressure your heart to push harder. Excess salt also forces your kidneys to filter more, and it raises your urinary calcium, a component of kidney stones.
• Manage your weight – over and under. Carrying too many pounds, or too few, can put you at higher risk of both heart and kidney conditions that can extend through the urinary tract. Talk to your doctor about where you should be, weight wise, for your age, gender, and body type.
• Get your blood moving. A little activity every day improves blood circulation, which maintains heart and kidney strength. Bonus: Exercise-related blood flow enhances your ability to get an erection. 
• Include Kegels as exercise. Pelvic-muscle squeezes, or Kegels, are shown to reduce symptoms of OAB, pelvic floor prolapse, and even ED, all of which might support a less-stressed heart rhythm. 

Research into cardiovascular-urology health continues, and our team is a part of that. If you have questions, we’re happy to talk with you about promoting a more proactive heart and urinary system relationship for you. You can request an appointment with one of The Urology Group’s top specialists here. To learn more about a range of urinary issues,visit our A-to-Z conditions page