Renal failure linked to heart diseases, say experts
POSTED March 22, 2010 - 12:05 | POSTED BY Neha Jindal
Last edited by Kangna Agarwal on March 22, 2010 - 13:14
In a study conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), endocrinology experts established that the Indian population has a great proportion of diabetes and high blood pressure thus leading to CKD.
Dr. Sanjeev Gulati, senior consultant nephrologist, Fortis Hospital, Delhi, said, “Instances of CKD have been rising over two decades because of rising cases of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”
Study on 4,712 people
The team conducted the study on a cohort of 4,712 people to determine the average number of people suffering from kidney disease and other health related problems.
After analyzing the records of the subjects, it was found that eight in 10,000 people suffer from CKD.
Simultaneously, if this data is related to the Indian populace, it was revealed that there would be no less than 7.85 million CKD patients.
Prevalence of CKD
On the basis of the results, the research team also established that there were certain conditions responsible for CKD epidemic.
They found that 41 percent cases of diabetes, 22 percent of hypertension, 16 percent of chronic glomerulonephritis--inflammation of capillaries in the kidney, 5.4 percent of chronic interstitial--lung disease, another 5.4 percent of ischemic nephropathy, 2.7 percent cases of obstructive uropathy cases, along with 5.4 percent unidentified causes were responsible for CKD epidemic.
“People who routinely take painkillers for muscular and back pain are also at high risk for CKD,” stated Gulati.
“High amounts of painkillers damage kidneys. Hence, all who pop painkillers must get a kidney test done,” Gulati added.
Professor Amit Gupta of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences said, “Due to lack of awareness, by the time patients suffering with CKD approach doctors, more than 50% of their kidney is already damaged.”
Further, Gupta emphasized that heart and kidney treatments should not be set apart and early diagnosis can thwart renal diseases.
However, experts added, “CKD is getting out of control because the treatment--dialysis or transplantation--is unaffordable for 90 percent of patients in the country.”
In accordance with estimates provided by the government, the number of CKD patients is disquieting.
“Two lakh people reach terminal kidney failure each year and millions suffer from less severe kidney diseases,” stated the experts.
The study appears in the journal Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation.
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