Kidney diseases have made a major change in the disease profile of society in the last six years. Nephrologists report more chronic kidney diseases that may turn into renal failures if detected late.
The burden of kidney diseases has been going up mainly for two reasons. Diabetes continues to be the leading cause of kidney diseases.
Chronic glomerulonephritis takes the second spot and affects many people aged around 40 years.
Nephrologist Mammen M. John, consultant at the Medical Trust Hospital here, says advances in medical science have helped people with diabetes prevent and overcome cardiovascular diseases.
But improved longevity has exposed people to disorders of kidney, the other major organ after heart that is affected by diabetes. Earlier, people did not live long enough to develop kidney diseases. People with more than 10-15 years of diabetes are at high risk for kidney diseases.
The patterns of diseases have changed over the last 20-25 years. Renal failure does not happen overnight. It is a slow progress and hence, if detected early, the disease can be prevented from going into renal failure, Dr. John says.
Population studies on kidney diseases in the Indian context are missing, but about 10 per cent of the patients reporting kidney diseases are in the 40-year age group, says Binu Upendran, consultant nephrologist at Lourdes Hospital.
Glomerulonephritis, also termed IGA nephropathy, the cause of which is unknown, is detected more in the younger generation.
In general, childhood infections are said to be a pointer to some of the kidney diseases, Dr. Upendran says. This also signifies that people from lower economic strata of society could be more affected, he adds.
According to nephrologist Sathish S., consultant at KIMS, there are three basic categorisations for kidney diseases — obesity, diabetes, and age.
Diabetes is an ongoing epidemic and that has brought kidney disease to the forefront in recent times. Simple blood and urine tests for urea and creatine levels could indicate the kidney’s functioning, Dr. Sathish said.
