March 12^th 2009

World Kidney Day (WKD) is a campaign to increase awareness on the importance of kidneys, and to reduce the occurrence of kidney disease, globally. It is celebrated in more than 100 countries on the second Thursday of March every year.

“Keep the pressure down” is the slogan for the year 2009 -- a clear pointer to the importance of high blood pressure as one of the chief causes of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

Agenda 2009

The campaign will strive to inform the public about the ‘amazing kidneys’ besides creating awareness on the importance of screening, by encouraging people to undergo simple tests that will help to diagnose kidney disease. To achieve this the World Kidney Day (WKD) has formed an official partnership with the World Hypertension Day, which occurs on the 17^th of May.

The organizers of the World Kidney Day-- the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF) hope to achieve the following by pressurizing governments and the healthcare organizations and personnel-

• Routine measurement of BP and urine examinations

• Compulsory screening of high risk patients for CKD

• Informing patients with CKD and teaching them self help techniques.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Ten percent of the world’s population i.e., about 500 million people suffer from kidney damage of some sort. A good number of them die from heart diseases that develop as a result of CKD, which is condition associated with progressive decline in kidney functions.

CKD is strongly associated with other health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The common factor that binds these conditions is high blood pressure. A person suffering a combination of these conditions has a poor prognosis.

Earlier inflammatory diseases of the kidney, urinary tract obstructions or hereditary disorders like polycystic kidneys caused CKD. Now hypertension and diabetes top the list.

Blood and urine samples to test for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and creatinine level of blood serumcan help to diagnose the condition.

CKD always results in irreversible kidney damage -- requiring dialysis or kidney transplant -- or death. The risk of dying from heart problem is more in these individuals than the risk of end stage renal disease (ESRD).

This disease is treatable and its progression can curtailed if timely detection is enabled. To actualize this, regular screening must be carried out. Compulsive tests must be carried out on high risk individuals such as--

• Diabetics
• Those with hypertension
• Obese people
• Individuals above the age of 50
• Those who smoke
• Those with a family history of kidney disease

Some of the Most Alarming Facts About Kidney Disease

The recent global increase in kidney disease is cause of worry for many countries especially in Asia. Some of the facts include

1. The incidence kidney failure (or chronic Kidney disease) has doubled the last 15 years.

2. Diabetes is an important cause of kidney failure and diabetes is five times more common in the Asians when compared to the white population

3. Another lifestyle related disorder – hypertension or blood pressure is an important cause of kidney failure and it too has seen a global increase in its incidence. Asians again are twice more prone to develop this condition in comparison to the white population.

4. There are approximately 7.85 million people suffering from chronic kidney failure in India.

5. In the United States the cost of treating patients with renal replacement therapy will be US $28 billion by the year 2010. It is estimated that over 600 000 patients will require treatment.