WORLD KIDNEY DAY 2018

WORLD KIDNEY DAY 2018 falls on March 8th, 2018 in the Thai calendar year 2561.

The theme of the event is "Kidneys & Women's Health". Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health issue that can lead to kidney failure and premature death. Approximately 195 million women worldwide suffer from CKD, which is the 8th leading cause of death for women, with nearly 600,000 women dying each year from the disease.

The risk of CKD is equal for both men and women, although in some areas, women have a higher incidence of the disease, with 14% of women affected compared to only 12% of men. However, women tend to receive less treatment for CKD, including dialysis and kidney transplantation. Women are also more likely to be donors than recipients of kidneys, which highlights the importance of equal access to treatment.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease that is common in women and is an autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation of the kidneys and eventually lead to kidney failure. Urinary tract infections are also common in women of all ages, from childhood to old age, especially during pregnancy. If not treated properly, UTIs can lead to sepsis and sudden kidney failure, which can be fatal. In young girls, recurrent UTIs can cause kidney scarring and eventually lead to CKD. Diagnosis of kidney disease can be made through urine tests, which can detect red blood cells, white blood cells, and protein in the urine.

Kidney Disease and Pregnancy

Women with chronic kidney disease have difficulty getting pregnant and may have poor pregnancy outcomes for both the mother and the baby. These women often have high blood pressure and may develop toxemia of pregnancy. Babies may be born prematurely and have lower birth weights than normal.

In women with end-stage renal disease, those who require dialysis often cannot conceive or may have a miscarriage or stillbirth. However, women who have received a kidney transplant and whose kidneys function normally can conceive and have a successful pregnancy, although their babies may still be born prematurely and have low birth weights.

Pregnancy can also increase the risk of kidney disease. In pre-eclampsia, a complication of pregnancy, there is high blood pressure and protein in the urine, which can lead to maternal death or sudden kidney failure. In developing countries, poor antenatal and obstetric care can contribute to high rates of maternal mortality due to complications like these. Therefore, good antenatal care is important in reducing the risk of kidney disease and death in pregnant women.

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the main causes of chronic kidney disease. The Thai Nephrology Society found that among patients with end-stage renal disease treated with kidney replacement therapy in 2014, 38.47% had diabetes and 30.00% had high blood pressure.

52.5% of the patients who underwent hemodialysis were male and 47.5% were female. Among those treated with peritoneal dialysis, 49.2% were male and 50.8% were female.

Type 2 diabetes is increasingly prevalent, especially in Asia. Therefore, searching for and treating diabetes and high blood pressure to prevent complications such as end-stage renal disease, heart disease, stroke, blindness, and amputation is important.

Testing for diabetes by checking blood sugar levels before meals may not be sensitive enough. A better test involves checking blood sugar levels 2 hours after a meal or giving a glucose load of 75 grams and checking blood sugar levels 2 hours later. If the blood sugar level is over 200 mg/dl, this indicates diabetes. If it falls between 140-200 mg/dl, this suggests a tendency toward diabetes and requires frequent monitoring, especially for those with a family history of diabetes, obesity, or abdominal obesity.

High blood pressure is mostly a hereditary disease and is prevalent in people over 35 years old. If blood pressure is measured to be higher than 140/90 mmHg, it is considered high blood pressure and requires medical attention and treatment. Not treating high blood pressure can lead to the aforementioned complications. In addition, high blood pressure may be a complication of kidney disease and can occur concomitantly with diabetes, gout, etc.

To treat both chronic diseases and other illnesses, patients must accept treatment and behave accordingly by consuming appropriate food, medication, and exercising to prevent various complications, especially kidney diseases. Women have a higher risk of becoming seriously ill during or after pregnancy, so they must take good care of themselves to live a long life with their children and family.