New Delhi: With kidney ailments alarmingly rising in India due to a growing number of diabetes and hypertension cases, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has projected that kidney diseases will likely be the fifth leading cause of death in India by 2040. "It's really a matter of concern. And it's the right time to take all necessary precautions to avert this situation," Dr Jayesh M Lele, secretary-general of IMA told ETV Bharat.
Coinciding the World Kidney Day on March 10, the IMA is organising a two-day-long awareness programme 'IMA Kidneycon 2022', where experts from across India will share their knowledge on kidney diseases. The program will feature experts who will highlight the various forms of kidney diseases. The programme will also address the issue of how these diseases are often diagnosed very late due to lack of awareness among people and doctors.
"As of today, a kidney disease knowledge gap exists even among healthcare professionals," said Dr Lele. "It is estimated that over 90 crore people around the world suffer from kidney disease. One out of every 10 adults may have kidney disease and if left untreated, the disease can be deadly. Moreover, it is found that kidney cancer is the 16th common cancer in the world with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounting for 2 percent of global cancer diagnoses and deaths. It is estimated that in India, the incidents of RCC among males is about 2 in 1 lakh population while in women it is about 1 in 1 lakh population," he said.
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"Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, reducing salt intake, weight loss, avoiding over the counter medications like pain killers, drinking sufficient amount of water, controlling sugar and blood pressure are some of the ways to prevent kidney disease," said Dr Lele.
He also emphasised the importance of regular testing of blood and urine for high-risk patients like those suffering from diabetes and hypertension to detect kidney disease. "Sudden or acute kidney damage can happen due to medications, infections, dehydration and even with complicated pregnancies," he added.
