GLOSSARY

Hypertension: High blood pressure, or increased prolonged pressure against blood vessel walls. Can cause hardening of the blood vessels and lead to heart disease.

Kidney: One of a pair of bean-shaped organs located in the posterior abdomen, one on each side of the spine. Each kidney is composed of more than one million nephrons that filter blood under high pressure, removing urea, salts, and other soluble wastes from the blood and returning the purified filtrate to the bloodstream. The kidneys process more than 2,500 pints of blood per day. The kidneys also produce the hormone EPO.