Marcelo Orias, MD, PhD

Marcelo Orias, MD, PhD, is a nephrologist and sees patients with general kidney disease, but also specializes in treating hypertension, which is common in patients with chronic kidney disease.

A fourth-generation physician, Dr. Orias says he always knew he wanted to be a doctor, but he didn’t settle on nephrology as a specialty until medical school. “It’s probably in my genes to be a doctor, and when I discovered nephrology I enjoyed its physiology,” he says. “It’s very complex.”

When meeting with patients, Dr. Orias says he tries to use common words to break down the complexity and to illustrate how the kidneys work and how certain diseases affect their function.

“The kidneys are probably the main reason why people have high blood pressure. It’s a vicious circle where increased blood pressure makes the kidneys worse, and it’s important that this is noticed and treated or else a patient can end up on dialysis,” Dr. Orias says. “But if we catch it early enough, it can be treated with dietary and lifestyle changes and blood pressure medication.”

Part of the problem, he explains, is that you can have problems in your kidneys and not know it. “As we age, our blood pressure increases. Roughly sixty percent of people who are 60 years old have hypertension and 90 percent of those who are 90 have it. It’s very important to have your blood work checked because you can have damage to your kidneys and be asymptomatic,” says Dr. Orias, who also treats many young patients, a population that is increasing in kidney disease.

His research interests include phenotypes in hypertension. Dr. Orias is also vice president of the World Hypertension League, an organization dedicated to addressing hypertension at the population level.