The observance of World Kidney Day will be on Thursday 11^th March 2021 with the theme for 2021 being “Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere: Living well With Kidney Disease.”

The day was established and designed specifically to raise awareness worldwide by educating individuals of all races and gender regarding the importance of the kidneys and the gravity of kidney disease.    

 Other objectives of the day include: to highlight diabetes and hypertension as main causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD), to encourage systematic screening of all diabetics and hypertensive patients, to encourage preventative behaviours as well as instruct medical professionals on their role in detecting and reducing the risk of CKD, particularly in high risk populations.

In addition, World Kidney Day stresses the urgency for local and national authorities to control the CKD epidemic and appeals to governments worldwide to take action to invest in imminent kidney screenings.

Based on global statistics, over 2 million persons worldwide are receiving dialysis treatment while a similar amount die each year due to their inability to access treatment. .    

There has been a rapid increase in kidney failure and kidney disease in Antigua and Barbuda. . During a recent discussion with Consultant Nephrologist Dr Ian Thomas of the Mount Saint John’s Medical Centre, pertinent information was shared and many questions were clarified.

The kidneys are bean- shaped organs almost the size of your fist located in the back of the abdomen near the spine. They produce urine and are efficient filters in ridding the body of waste and toxins from the blood as well as balancing the body’s water and mineral.

Most humans are born with two kidneys, however on rare occasions, persons may be born with only one kidney. The kidney is a vital organ which has the ability to repair itself if suddenly injured; once the problem can be fixed, its function can improve.

A person can lose 90% of their kidney function without any symptoms and most times signs appear, it is already too late, and that person has to go on dialysis. It is therefore important for persons with risk factors to be screened.

 Doctor Thomas also spoke of ethnicity and the age for which more attention should be placed on the kidneys and a healthy lifestyle. Science has revealed that ethnicity plays a role and black persons are more susceptible to this disease.

Kidney disease is a general term used for a wide range of kidney disorders. Diabetes mellitus is the number one cause of chronic kidney disease while hypertension or high blood pressure is number two on the list as major causes for this disease.  

The term kidney failure is used when the kidney loses the ability to adequately filter metabolic waste products and toxins from the blood. Kidney failure has many possible causes, some of which lead to rapid decline in kidney function.

There are two types of kidney disease: chronic and acute. Chronic disease starts slowly and continues for a long period; it is when the kidneys lose their ability to clean the blood, remove waste and make urine, so that overtime the kidneys stop working. This period could vary from several months to years.

Acute kidney disease is when the kidney suddenly stop working. When acute kidney failure doesn’t completely improve, it becomes chronic kidney disease.

Some symptoms of the disease include urinating (peeing) at nights, tiredness, feeling sick to the stomach, itching and muscle cramps. However as the disease progresses, a person with kidney disease will stop urinating and develop confusion and difficulty breathing.

Kidney disease can be diagnosed through blood tests which measure the amount of waste products building up in your blood. An ultrasound is also used to look at the kidneys and in severe cases a microscope (biopsy) may become necessary.

Kidney disease is a silent disease: although, it usually affects older persons between the ages of fifty and sixty, those with genetic conditions begin much younger. Individuals with diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are prime targets and should be screened for kidney disease.

For those without risk factors, it is recommended that the kidneys are checked at age fifty. In order to maintain healthy kidneys, the emphasis must be placed on the consumption of healthy foods and regular exercise.

The dialysis unit at Mount Saint John’s Medical Centre is under intense pressure. It is equipped with 19 machines with 106 persons utilising the services and others waiting in the wing, according to Doctor Thomas.  Therefore, it is vital for persons, particularly those in high risk categories, to adopt healthier lifestyle practices.

In the words of Anne Wilson Schaef “ Good health is not something we can buy however it can be an extremely valuable savings account.