The World Kidney Day is a day for spreading awareness on kidney diseases. This year the slogan is ""Protect your kidneys, Save your heart". Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) organised this event as a part of world-wide celebration.
Diabetes and hypertension are the leading causes of kidney failure world-wide. Pakistan with the sixth largest population of diabetes in the world is encountering a rapid rise of kidney disease.
Dr Zahid Jamal of NICVD discussed the effects of kidney disease on the heart. He said hypertension is the main cause of heart failure. Renal failure is leading cause of hypertension. Early diagnosis and effective treatment of renal diseases we can avoid hyper tension and heart failure. Healthy diet, judicious use of salt and daily walk can improve our health and can save our heart.
Dr Fatema Jawad, consultant diabetologist, emphasised that longstanding diabetes, especially if it has been poorly controlled affects almost every part of our body including blood vessels, heart, nervous system and kidneys. There are approximately 18 million people with Diabetes and at least 40 percent of them will develop chronic kidney disease. Of these 10 percent will develop end-stage kidney disease.
She said, once the microscopic filters are damaged, blood pressure (BP) increases, proteins start spilling in urine and kidney function starts to decline. It is estimated that about one third of diabetic patients will eventually develop kidney disease. The best way to prevent kidney disease is strict control of blood sugar, which is often neglected. Even in early stages of involvement, use of certain medications to control BP and some dietary modification can protect the kidneys. Cigarette smoking aggravates kidney damage in diabetics and should be discontinued.
Dr Ejaz Ahmed, consultant nephrologist, spoke on the relationship between high blood pressure and kidney damage. Hypertension is one of the leading causes of kidney failure. Nearly one billion people world-wide have high blood pressure, and the incidence will rise to 1.56 billion by 2025. Therefore, treatment of hypertension has become the most important management. Professor Manzoor Hussain spoke on stone disease, which constitutes 50-60 percent of the workload in SIUT. As the climate is conducive people should drink plenty of clean water and keep the environment healthy. He described the causes, signs, symptoms and prevention of kidney stone formation.
Dr Ali Asghar Lanewala described Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) in children to have serious consequences if left untreated. "Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment is necessary". He provided guidelines to parents for prevention of UTI and other kidney diseases in their children.
Kehkashan - dietician said that eating right and being physically active are keys to healthy life style. Increased intake of vegetables, whole grain cereals, low fat milk and a low intake of saturated fats (ghee), salt and simple sugars can help prevent various diseases including heart and kidney disease.-PR