The number of kidney patients continues to increase daily as 850 million people around the world suffer from some kind of kidney disease, with nearly 7.5 million in Turkey.
In other words, one out of every six to seven adults in Turkey has kidney disease. So, as World Kidney Day – marked on every second Thursday of March – dawns, let's take a look at what causes kidney diseases.
Due to its insidious progression and lack of reversal, chronic kidney disease is increasing day by day among the causes of death. While at least 2.4 million people die annually from chronic kidney disease in the world, this number is expected to double to 5.4 million by 2030.
Kidney diseases have become a global health problem. Professor Ülkem Çakır, head of the Department of Nephrology at Acıbadem University Faculty of Medicine and head of the Acıbadem International Hospital Kidney Transplantation Center, said kidney dysfunction could actually be prevented or delayed when detected at an early stage with regular urine and blood tests.
“However, since the annual routine screenings are neglected, most adults continue their lives without knowing that they have chronic kidney disease and the disease can progress to the levels of end-stage renal disease.”
Çakır reiterated that for kidney health, it is necessary to pay attention to living habits. “Consuming enough water, limiting salt, keeping blood pressure and blood sugar under control, giving up smoking and alcohol, not using drugs indiscriminately, eating a healthy diet and leading an active life are the most important measures that can be taken against kidney diseases.”
Diabetes is described as one of the biggest enemies of the kidneys. When the blood vessels, which are responsible for filtering the toxins in the kidneys, are damaged due to uncontrolled blood sugar, the kidneys are unable to function. The data of the Turkish Foundation of Nephrology Kidney Registration System reveals that diabetes is responsible for kidney failure in approximately 38% of patients who have just started dialysis in Turkey.
Again, according to the data of the Turkish Foundation of Nephrology Kidney Registration System, hypertension is the cause of kidney failure in 27% of patients receiving dialysis treatment in Turkey. Hypertension, which is seen in one out of every three adults in Turkey, causes structural disorder and obstruction in the vessels in the kidneys, and this results in kidney failure.
Obesity is an important factor in the development of chronic kidney disease. Scientific research shows that the risk of developing chronic kidney failure in obese patients increases at a very high rate of 83%. The reason for this is that with increasing weight, the burden on the kidneys also increases. In addition, obesity indirectly affects kidneys by causing metabolic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, which have an effect on the formation of chronic kidney disease.
Insufficient water consumption is another important factor that causes serious damage to the kidneys. When we do not drink enough water, the harmful substances filtered from the blood cannot be removed from our body so our kidneys have to work harder and begin to wear out rapidly. Çakır noted that we should make it a habit to drink enough water every day. “In addition to drinking less water, drinking too much water is also harmful. It would be sufficient for a woman of normal weight to drink 1.5 liters to 2 liters of water per day, and for a man to drink 2 liters to 2.5 liters water.”
According to numerous scientific studies, excessive consumption of salt can raise blood pressure and cause serious problems that can lead to kidney failure. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that daily salt consumption be less than 5 grams, which corresponds to a full teaspoon. Çakır warned that you should not sprinkle salt on your meals for the health of your kidneys. “Because this amount represents the total amount of salt we take in from all foods, including processed products, not the salt we add to our meals.”
Although drugs play a leading role in the treatment of diseases, they can also cause harm when consumed recklessly. For this reason, experts warn at every opportunity that drugs should be used under the supervision of a physician. For example, some painkillers that are used frequently and indiscriminately and anti-inflammatory drugs used in rheumatic diseases can cause hypertension and kidney failure.
Smoking contributes significantly to causing serious damage to the kidneys. This is because cigarettes contain heavy toxins that can lead to kidney failure. According to scientific studies, smoking accelerates kidney damage and the course of chronic kidney disease by at least 30%. Since alcohol contains chemicals that damage our kidneys, it naturally tires the kidneys when consumed too much.
