Comprehensive therapy needed to manage kidney disease

A comprehensive therapy targeting diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease should be introduced during renal disease treatment, medical experts note, as complications co-exist with kidney disease and seriously impact patients' quality of life and survival rates.

The new concept of integrated and multidisciplinary treatment for kidney disease will be highlighted at an international medical conference launched by the China Medical Education Association's clinical kidney disease commission in Shanghai from Thursday to Sunday.

"Treatment of kidney disease should not only target the kidneys," said Dr Chen Nan from Ruijin Hospital and chairperson of the conference. "Patients with kidney disease usually have other chronic diseases, which have negative impacts on the kidneys and medication for multiple diseases may also impose effects on other organs. Doctors must have a comprehensive evaluation and treat the patients from a wider view instead of focusing on just one organ."

There are an estimated 120 million people in the nation with chronic kidney disease, of whom 90 percent are unaware of their disease. Among them, the majority are people who also suffer from diabetes and hypertension.

Cardiovascular disease has become the primary cause of death for patients with chronic kidney disease and the co-existence of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease further impact patients' chances of survival.

In addition, the spectrum of kidney disease is also changing. Diabetes has become the leading cause of chronic kidney disease. Among hospitalized patients, diabetes is the most common cause of kidney disease, Chen said.

Due to the rising number of diabetes patients in China, the number of people with kidney disease will also increase. Diabetes-induced kidney disorder is expected to become the leading cause of kidney failure among Chinese patients in the future.

Joint disease management must be introduced to target diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease at the same time. It is the key to improve clinical ability and is a major topic of the conference, experts said.