By Navdeep Tangri, MD, PhD, FRCP
As the world’s population ages, the burden of chronic kidney disease grows.
That’s the finding shared by a recent study published in Nature Reviews Nephrology. The article identified the aging population as “the primary factor driving increased [chronic kidney disease] mortality.” Other factors include increasing rates of comorbid conditions like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
One in six people across the globe will surpass age 65 by the year 2050. As the population ages, diseases that were largely limited to the final years of life will become chronic ailments that impact millions of people. That includes chronic kidney disease.
The progression of chronic kidney disease can be slowed with clinical support, but early diagnosis and intervention rely on prompt access to care. Early detection and treatment of individuals at risk promotes:
- Lifestyle changes to reduce complications (smoking cessation, dietary intervention)
- Improved quality of life for patients
- Treatment at earlier stages (medications to reduce need for hospitalization and dialysis)
- Systemic savings and improved clinical resource management
- Better long-term health outcomes
Kidney replacement treatments, including dialysis and living donor transplant, replace renal function after kidney failure. The social, environmental, and financial costs of this treatment are far higher.
Roughly 2.6 million people received such therapy in 2010; 93% were living in high-income countries. The study estimates half of people who need such care already do not receive it, with more than 2.3 million people having died due to lack of access to treatment.
Increasing demand for kidney replacement therapy could overwhelm capacity to provide renal care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
By contrast, wider screenings and access to medications and social support for patients managing more than one overlapping health condition can all help curtail the increase in global disease burden.
Urgent action in clinical practice and public health policy is needed to slow rising demand for later-stage treatments. Tailored interventions can reduce the impact of chronic kidney disease and improve health outcomes, offering a brighter outlook for patients and communities across the globe.
About the Author
Professor Tangri is a practicing physician in the Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Canada. He serves as Chair of the Medical Advisory Council of the Global Patient Alliance for Kidney Health.