It is important that kidney health is advocated for all as the number of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients on dialysis in Malaysia is projected to hit 106,000 in 2040, according to a consultant nephrologist.
In a statement in conjunction with World Kidney Day, Dr Wong Hin Seng of Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City said the most common cause of ESKD is diabetes mellitus, accounting for 53 per cent of all new ESKD patients in 2021, followed by hypertension, which accounted for another 33.9 per cent.
“As these two diseases are the most common causes of ESKD, it is important that one must lead a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and hypertension.
“And, if individuals have diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension, they must ensure that their disease is optimally controlled. They should also monitor their kidney health regularly with blood and urine tests, and avoid medications, drugs or supplements that are known or suspected to be potentially toxic to the kidneys,” he said.
To further prevent the risk of ESKD, Dr Wong said it was advisable to go for regular health screenings, maintain a healthy diet that is low in salt with more fruits and vegetables, stay active and quit smoking as these steps not only keep the whole body healthy but also the kidney.
Dr Wong said the prevalence of chronic kidney disease among Malaysians had increased from 9.07 per cent in 2011 to 15.48 per cent in 2018, a 70 per cent increase in just a span of seven years.
He added that as dialysis is extremely expensive, this will further burden the healthcare and economy of the country where there were already 50,150 dialysis patients in 2020.
Dr Wong also said kidney transplant provides a far superior outcome compared to dialysis.
In fact, he said kidney transplant before the initiation of dialysis (pre-emptive kidney transplant) provides the best outcome and avoids complications arising from chronic dialysis.
“Hence, all patients with newly diagnosed ESKD should consider and explore the option of a kidney transplant before opting for long-term dialysis. The most obvious advantage of kidney transplantation to the patient and their families is that they no longer need to plan their lives around the patient’s dialysis schedule,” he said.
Dr Wong said for those who have received a donated kidney, other than leading a healthy lifestyle, they only need to be committed to taking lifelong immunosuppressant medications to ensure that their body does not reject the donated kidney.
However, he said it is important to note that both patients and donors are aware that the transplanted kidney may not last forever as kidneys from a living donor, on the average last between 15 and 20 years and the five-year survival rate for those who undergo a kidney transplant is 90 per cent.
This is far better than dialysis where only about half are still alive after five years on dialysis, he added.
Dr Wong believes that it is better for the patient to receive an organ from a living donor who has been evaluated for their suitability and the transplant surgery performed in a planned manner.
“Living donors can donate their kidneys to their spouse and their first- or second-degree relative. A first-degree relative is one’s parent, child or full sibling, while a second-degree relative is one’s grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece or half-sibling,” he said.
Due to the lack of deceased donors in this country, Dr Wong said the average waiting time for dialysis patients to receive a kidney from a deceased donor is more than 10 years as the majority of these dialysis patients succumb to their disease while waiting for the organ.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency