Research overview: systemic hypertension in feline CKD

Systemic hypertension commonly accompanies feline CKD and threatens target organs, most dramatically the eyes, where sudden hypertensive retinopathy and detachment can cause acute blindness, as well as the brain, heart, and kidneys themselves. Blood pressure measurement and treatment, historically with amlodipine and more recently with additional agents, are integral to CKD care. This overview synthesizes the hypertension literature rather than one citation, describing why kidney disease and high blood pressure reinforce each other, how target-organ damage drives the urgency of screening and treatment, and which therapies control pressure in cats. It matters because recognizing and managing hypertension can prevent catastrophic, irreversible complications such as blindness while also protecting the kidneys from further pressure-related injury.