Kidney disease on the rise, experts warn
About 11.8 percent of local residents suffer from chronic kidney disease, while less than 10 percent of the public have knowledge about kidney health, medical experts said on Thursday, the World Kidney Day.
Kidney disease is a global public health problem with high incidence, high mortality and low awareness. It is also a silent killer, as there are no symptoms during the early stage of the disease.
There are 850 million people suffering from kidney diseases in the world, with 2.4 million deaths annually.
“With the rising number of elderly people, and more people having high risk factors like hypertension and diabetes, the incidence of chronic kidney disease will keep rising in China in the next 10 years,” said Dr Ni Zhaohui from Renji Hospital. “There are 1 to 2 million people with terminal-stage kidney disease in the nation and nearly 400,000 people need dialysis, with a 15 to 20 percent annual increase.”
High awareness, regular screening and early detection are important for kidney disease prevention and control.
“The intake of some nutrients like fat and salt, lack of exercise, high pressure, smoking, drinking, lack of sleep and pollution are all risks for the health of the kidney,” Ni said. “The abuse of medication, improper use of medicines and improper methods of weight loss are all causes for kidney diseases.”
Doctors present an educational book on kidney health to local residents during a health lecture on Thursday, World Kidney Day.
