ISLAMABAD: Pakistan ranks eighth among the countries with a high rate of kidney diseases, with 17 million people suffering from kidney problems.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is rapidly growing in Pakistan due to late diagnosis, kidney stone and an increasing number of diabetes and high blood pressure patients.

This was stated by health experts during an event held at Shifa International Hospital in connection with World Kidney Day being observed on March 11 (today).

The day is aimed at raising awareness of the importance of kidneys to overall health and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems.

Theme of this year is “Living Well with Kidney Disease”.

Experts say early diagnosis can save lives

This has been done to both increase education and awareness about effective symptom management and patient empowerment.

Consultant nephrologist Dr Syed Farhat Abbas said that kidney patients should keep their blood pressure on the lower side, and manage blood sugar levels, also they should reduce salt intake, and moderate protein consumption.

“A person at high risk of kidney disease should consult his health care provider to protect kidneys,” he said.

Another nephrologist Dr Syed Nayer Mahmud said to protect kidney health, people should know their risks.

“If one has diabetes or high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney failure, they are at higher risk of kidney problems. Also getting tested can help timely diagnosis because people with early stage of kidney disease usually have no symptoms,” he said.

Health expert Dr Danyal Hassan said that kidneys played a vital role by filtering waste and excess fluid from the blood and maintaining a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals. “Stone disease is a common cause of chronic kidney disease and drinking 2-3 litres of boiled or filtered water is the key to prevent stone formation,” he said.

Dr Momena Manzoor highlighted that those who are suffering from end-stage kidney disease, be careful about the risk of acquiring hepatitis and other blood-borne infections from dialysis machines; choose dialysis unit where proper sanitisation is done.

She said normal people should take care of their kidneys by exercising, controlling weight and diet, staying hydrated, maintaining cholesterol levels, avoiding painkillers, getting annual physical checkups and knowing their family medical history.

Consultant nutritionist Dr Rezzan Khan said a person may prevent or delay CKD by eating the right foods. Medical nutrition therapy provided by dietitian or nutritionist can slow the progression and significantly reducing healthcare costs for CKD patients.

“However, dietary counseling is underutilized in CKD. Recent research from the US revealed that 90pc of non-dialysis kidney disease patients never meet with a dietitian. Almost two-thirds of medical providers reported that they rarely or never refer patients with early-stage CKD to a dietitian for medical nutrition therapy. This scenario is worse in Pakistan. Most adults with chronic kidney disease remain poorly informed of how diet influences disease management and progression,” she said.

She said nutritionist recommends that a patient with reduced kidney function choose foods carefully and guide them to the correct dietary changes.

These changes may include limiting fluids, eating a low-protein diet, limiting salt, potassium, phosphorous, and other electrolytes, and consuming enough calories if they are losing weight.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2021