Controlling progression of renal ailments
Dr Vishal Saxena
With significant rise in the incidences of renal failure due to Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD) there is an urgent need to raise awareness among the masses. The number of patients suffering from CKD has almost doubled in the past decade and is continuing to rise at a rapid pace. While the major risk factors adding to the burden of kidney disease in India include diabetes and hypertension, attributing to over 60% of the cases of CKD, and with such an alarming rise, the prevalence is expected to grow further.
Kidney failure or Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a progressive disease that occurs when the kidneys are unable to filter the waste and toxins from the bloodstream irreversibly, over a period of time. Though the condition is incurable, with timely detection and early treatment, progression of the disease can be slowed down.
Cases of Chronic Kidney disease need to be diagnosed at early stages for early treatment and effective management through medications. Devoid of timely screening, many patients present with advanced progression and at later stages where dialysis or renal transplant remains the last resort.
Diabetes and Hypertension account for over 2/3rd of the cases of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). As per recent Indian Council of Medical Research data, prevalence of both diabetes and hypertension in urban Indian adult population has risen to as high as 20%.
With rising prevalence of various lifestyle diseases in India, the prevalence of kidney disease has also almost doubled in the last decade and is expected to rise further. Besides the large and ever-growing burden of non-communicable diseases (Diabetes and hypertension), various people are affected by kidney diseases due to Over-The-Counter (OTC) drugs and traditional medicines containing heavy metals which harm the kidneys.
Lack of awareness about this disease is one of the major factors contributing to the irreversible morbidity and mortality, making this the most under-reported and under-recognized ailments in India. Masses should be made aware that with timely detection, and advanced treatment modules in the field of nephrology, management of this disease can curb down the morbidity and mortality rate. Regular health check-ups for screening of such conditions in the early phase are a must as this will not only help reduce the financial burden on the patient but also on the society, as a whole.
There are various factors due to which there is a rise in a number of individuals being detected with chronic kidney diseases such as sedentary lifestyle, uncontrolled diabetes, stressful life leading to uncontrolled hypertension, drug abuse, and unmonitored use of painkillers, etc. This is due to unawareness among the common people about various precautionary steps, key symptoms, and treatment coupled with limited access to high-end healthcare expertise and infrastructure.
As most of the people do not have any symptoms of the progression of the disease, until the advanced stages, it is important to get tested annually. Once the kidney functions come below 15%, the patient would require a lifelong dialysis or a renal transplant.
End-stage kidney failures are only controlled by dialysis or kidney transplant. Dialysis can be done once a week or more often depending on the condition. In case of transplant, new kidneys are placed with the diseased ones (diseased are replaced by a new or a healthy one). These transplants are said to work with a one-year success rate of 97 percent, and by the end of one year only 95% of the transplanted kidneys function well. While around 10% of these patients may face rejection by the body, which are reversible. But with advancements in medication and diagnostic techniques, the risk for matching donors seems worth enough to have a better quality of life.
(The author is Director – Nephrology & Renal Transplantation, BLK-Max Hospital, New Delhi)
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