With the theme 'Kidney Disease & Obesity', World Kidney Day 2017 is being marked here on Thursday (today), like other parts of the world, with a resolve to raise awareness among people about healthy lifestyle by following good health practices so that burden of diseases could be checked.
To mark the day, walks, seminars, symposiums and other activities will be held in different parts of the country in which speakers would highlight causes of kidney diseases. Medical camps would also be organised in different hospitals. Health professionals said, "Obesity is a potent risk factor for the development of kidney diseases. It increases the risk of developing major risk factors of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), like diabetes and hypertension, and it has a direct impact on the development of CKD and end stage renal disease (ESRD)."
They maintained that kidney disease is more likely to develop in obese people including those with diabetes and hypertension. By 2025, obesity will affect 18% of men and over 21% of women world-wide, and that severe obesity will affect 6% of all men and 9% of all women around the world. In some nations, obesity is already present in more than one-third of the adult population and contributes significantly to overall poor health and high annual medical costs.
Health experts said the number of kidney patients in Pakistan is rising at an alarming rate and diabetes and hypertension are the leading causes of end stage renal failure. Sadly, both conditions are widely overlooked in Pakistan. Approximately, 60 percent of patients requiring long term hemodialysis have lost their kidneys due to either diabetes or high blood pressure, they said.
In Lahore, Nephrology Department, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore in collaboration with Pakistan Society of Nephrology will hold a walk for raising awareness regarding kidney disease. It will be followed by a free screening camp in Out Patients Department (OPD) in which a facility of free screening tests and consultation will be provided to the public.
Leading health professional Professor, Faisal Masood said that creating awareness about diseases among the people is essential so that they should get medical check-up on regular basis. He said that timely diagnoses and early treatment can help in controlling diseases. He said that people must control blood pressure and diabetes for protecting themselves from kidney diseases.