A patient with severe renal artery stenosis is under nursing care. Which of the patient’s vital signs would the nurse most likely find to be abnormal as a result of this condition?

Renal artery stenosis is usually the result of long-standing (and poorly controlled) hypertension. Conversely, the condition can also trigger the abrupt onset of hypertension. It is also highly correlated with atherosclerosis. However, in this scenario, you’d likely find abnormalities (i.e., elevation) in this patient’s blood pressure.