Health is one of the most important things in life. Most of us try to keep ourselves as healthy as possible, for example through diet, sport or lifestyle awareness. But what if you’re doing everything you can to stay healthy and yet you are diagnosed with a hereditary, genetic condition? That’s tough. And this is exactly what happened to Hanspeter Meier, who was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), having inherited it from his mother, a serious condition that can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Watch Hanspeter’s story:
The Hidden Connection: Blood Pressure and Kidneys
When it comes to the kidneys, high blood pressure (BP), aka hypertension, packs a double-punch, being both a symptom, and a cause, of a serious condition:
- Having hypertension can cause chronic kidney disease
- Chronic kidney disease can induce high BP.
But knowing you have hypertension is difficult, which is why it’s often called the “silent killer”; there are no symptoms until a serious disease develops. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a catch-all term for long-term conditions that affect the kidneys, meaning that they don’t work as well as they should. While it’s commonly associated with getting older, it can affect anyone and is more prevalent in those who are of black or south Asian origin.
CKD can be inherited (for example through polycystic kidney disease, PKD, as in Hanspeter’s case), or related to an individual’s lifestyle. However, regardless of the cause, CKD is also hard to detect. In the early stages, it may be flagged as a result of a routine blood test or following a urine test, perhaps when investigating another problem. High blood pressure is a clinical sign that is consistently present in the majority of cases.
The Science Part
The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessels, allowing them to clean the blood quickly and efficiently. In fact, a healthy kidney can process up to 1 litre of blood per minute, cleaning all of your blood every 5 to 6 minutes. If these blood vessels are damaged, for example through hypertension or injury, their ability to remove waste products reduces, alongside their ability to regulate fluid and sodium levels in the body, which can lead to waste build-up and salt imbalance.
The outcome? Damaged kidneys that cannot regulate and clean the blood, leading to a dangerous spiral of BP increase, causing even more damage to blood vessels and further reducing the kidneys’ ability to function. In extreme cases, this can require dialysis or a kidney transplant. In some serious cases it can lead to death.
The Relationship Between Kidney Damage and PKD
PKD is a genetic disorder that causes many fluid-filled cysts to grow in your kidneys. Unlike the usually harmless simple kidney cysts that can form in the kidneys later in life, PKD cysts can change the kidneys’ shape, including making them much larger. This may then cause kidney damage and impair kidney function, causing CKD and the dangerous spiral of BP increase and further damage.
Manage Your BP to Minimise Risk of Kidney Damage
Hypertension can contribute to kidney damage and the development of CKD, therefore managing hypertension is an excellent way to protect your kidneys. Risk factors for high blood pressure include:
- Aging. As we age, our arteries naturally stiffen, meaning high BP is more likely.
- Genetics. Having close relatives with hypertension can be a risk factor.
- Ethnicity. People who are of Black African, Caribbean or South Asian heritage are at a higher risk.
- Some medical conditions, such as sleep apnoea, diabetes or increased cholesterol levels, are associated with hypertension.
- Diet, lifestyle and stress.
And hypertension is more common than you might think: one in three adults in the UK has it, and for every 10 people diagnosed, an estimated further 7 people remain undiagnosed and untreated.
The take home? Ensuring that your blood pressure stays within healthy levels means that you can help to protect your kidneys and reduce your risk of kidney disease.
Hanspeter’s Story: Continual BP Monitoring To Protects His Donated Kidney
While we often discuss the importance of measuring blood pressure in order to detect health conditions, monitoring blood pressure to manage known health conditions is just as important.
Enter Hanspeter, who was diagnosed with hereditary polycystic kidney disease (PKD). This is a serious medical condition and, in Hanspeter’s case, necessitated a kidney transplant, with the new kidney donated by his friend Sandro. However, this wasn’t the end of the story. The donated kidney required consistent blood pressure control in order to optimise function and health.
Previously, Hanspeter and his nephrologist Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Serra, relied upon taking periodic BP measurements using a traditional cuff, but the data collected provided only a snapshot. It was also inconsistent, as it relied on Hanspeter remembering to take measurements – difficult if you have a busy, active lifestyle. For a better overview of Hanspeter’s kidney health, they needed a continual monitoring approach.
Technology Meets Care: The Hilo Band Connection
The Hilo Band provides reliable and consistent data throughout the day and the night, and information is easily shared with healthcare professionals, enabling clinicians to tailor medication and adjust treatment doses as necessary. For Hanspeter, the Hilo Band is paramount for providing patient-centred and continual BP management.
“With my old device, I only knew my blood pressure as of the moment when I actually measured it. If I forgot to do it, I only had data every second or third day. This has now changed completely with my [Hilo] device. It is now measured on an ongoing basis, and measures my blood pressure all day long” Hanspeter Meier, Hilo User
Even more importantly, it gave Sandro’s donated kidney the best chance of staying healthy.
What You Can Do: Protecting Your Own Kidneys
Ensuring that you do what you can to protect your kidneys will give the best defence against developing CKD. The NHS suggests the following actions:
- Monitor underlying conditions, e.g. hypertension and diabetes
- Stop smoking
- Eat a healthy diet
- Manage alcohol intake
- Exercise regularly
- Be careful with painkillers e.g. NSAIDs such as paracetamol and ibuprofen
Monitoring your blood pressure quickly and discreetly is easier than you might think, and using a Hilo Band is one way to do it. This clinically validated device measures your blood pressure automatically – day and night – with no effort required from you. Built on years of proven research, it provides accurate, reliable data that’s easy to share with your doctor and is ready to use straight out of the box.
Hanspeter’s story shows what living with polycystic kidney disease really means — and how close monitoring can change the outcome. You can see his full story, including his transplant and recovery journey, in our BBC documentary.
Watch Hanspeter’s story on our website.
Managing BP means protecting life itself
Management of BP is a key feature of Hanspeter’s treatment of this life-threatening condition, and using a Hilo Band made it a breeze. Thanks to early action and technology, Hanspeter’s story is one of hope – and yours can be too.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only and does not contain, nor replace, medical advice. If you suspect hypertension or are worried about your blood pressure, speak to your doctor. They can advise on the best way to effectively manage it.
Sources
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What is blood pressure? Kidney Research UK. https://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/conditions-symptoms/blood-pressure/ (Accessed October 2025)
Simple Kidney Cysts. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/simple-kidney-cysts (Accessed October 2025)
How to Keep Your Blood Pressure Within a Healthy Range: Our Comprehensive Guide to Managing Blood Pressure Through Diet. Hilo.https://hilo.com/uk/art/managing-blood-pressure-through-diet/ (Accessed October 2025)
How to Lower High Blood Pressure Naturally, Without Medication. Hilo. https://hilo.com/uk/art/lower-blood-pressure-naturally/ (Accessed October 2025)
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Health matters: combating high blood pressure. Public Health England. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-combating-high-blood-pressure/health-matters-combating-high-blood-pressure (Accessed October 2025)
Polycystic kidney disease. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polycystic-kidney-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20352820 (Accessed October 2025)
Hilo Band. Hilo. https://hilo.com/uk/blood-pressure-monitor/ (Accessed October 2025)
Prevention: Chronic kidney disease. National Health Service (NHS), UK. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-disease/prevention/ (Accessed October 2025)
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