CHRONIC kidney disease (CKD) or often referred to as the “silent-killer”, continues to be a major public health concern as it is on the rise in Malaysia.
According to a study in 2020 on the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its associated factors in Malaysia, awareness of it was found to be at only 5% among the masses.
“People may not know they are experiencing loss in kidney function until they develop symptoms at the end stage. Early screening for high-risk groups especially those with diabetes and hypertension are important for early intervention to delay its deterioration,” said Malaysian Society of Nephrology (MSN) president Prof Dr Abdul Halim Abdul Gafor.
“It is important to manage CKD as early as possible so the patient can live life without the need for dialysis or any forms of kidney replacement therapy for years.”
Moreover, experts are able to determine the health of kidneys and assess the risk of CKD through a simple blood test called Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) test.
If CKD is spotted at an early stage, there are certain early interventions that can be introduced to delay progression of the disease and provide the patient a better quality of life.
“We are concerned as the prevalence of CKD has increased from 9.1% in the 2011 National Health and Morbidity survey to 15.5% in 2018.
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The number of Malaysians requiring kidney replacement therapy is increasing while diabetes is the leading cause for end stage kidney failure in the country,” Halim added.
Furthermore, The Malaysian Dialysis and Transplant Registry reported that 8,431 new patients received dialysis in 2018 and by the end of 2018 there were 44,136 patients on dialysis.
The number of End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) patients is estimated to reach 106,000 in 2040. This will cost the health care system an estimated RM3.2 bil annually.
In conjunction with the World Kidney Day awareness campaign, MSN urges those who are at high risk of CKD, particularly individuals with diabetes or hypertension, to schedule regular GFR testing with their family doctor and attend all follow-up appointments, as regular monitoring can help improve their lives. – March 10, 2022
