Timely diagnosis of chronic kidney diseases can save lives

Islamabad: Kidney patients should keep their blood pressure on the lower side, manage their blood sugar level, reduce salt intake, and exercise moderation in terms of protein consumption. A person at high risk for kidney disease should consult his health care provider to protect kidney health.

Consultant nephrologist at Shifa International Hospital (SIH) Dr. Syed Farhat Abbas communicated the above message on the occasion of World Kidney Day, which is annually observed on March 11 to raise awareness of the importance of kidneys to overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.

This year’s theme of the day is ‘Living Well with Kidney Disease.’ It has been chosen to increase education and awareness about effective symptom management and patient empowerment.

According to experts, Pakistan ranks eighth in the list of countries with high rate of kidney diseases, with 17 million people suffering from such diseases. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is rapidly growing in Pakistan due to late diagnosis, kidney stone disease, and an increasing number of patients suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.

Consultant nephrologist at SIH Dr. Syed Nayer Mahmud said, people should know their risks in order to protect kidney health. Patients with diabetes or high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney failure are at higher risk of kidney problems. Also getting tested can help timely diagnosis because people with early-stage kidney disease usually have no symptoms.

Dr. Danyal Hassan, another nephrologist at SIH said, kidneys serve a vital role by filtering waste and excess fluid from the blood and maintaining a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals. Stone disease is a common cause of CKD and drinking 2-3 liters of boiled or filtered water is the key to prevent stone formation.

Other nephrologists including Dr. Kiran Khurshid and Dr. Momena Manzoor also highlighted that those who are suffering from end-stage kidney disease should be careful about the risk of acquiring hepatitis and other blood-borne infections from dialysis machines. They advised patients to choose a dialysis unit where proper sanitisation is done.

Dr. Fareeha Khalil, associate consultant nephrologist at SIH also advised that normal people should take care of their kidneys by following exercise, weight control, consuming a balanced diet, staying hydrated, maintaining cholesterol levels, avoiding painkillers, getting annual physical checkups, and knowing their family medical history.