KUALA LUMPUR: SOME 3,000 Malaysians die of renal failure every year and health experts are worried that the number will keep increasing.
They cautioned that as more young Malaysians were diagnosed with diabetes, more people in their 40s who would also be likely to develop renal failure in the future.
Everyday, they said, 12 people would be diagnosed with renal failure, mostly caused by their lifestyle and bad eating habits.
National Kidney Foundation (NKF) chairman Datuk Dr Zaki Morad Mohd Zaher said current trends showed that the majority of those with renal failure were in their 50s, and had been diagnosed with diabetes in their 40s.
However, according to experts, there is a significant increase of people in their 30s becoming diabetic, who may subsequently end up with renal failure by the time they reach their 40s.
“For the past 20 years, the trend shows that kidney failure is prevalent among those aged between 50 and 60. However, the number of younger generation suffering from chronic lifestyle diseases is worrying.
“It will take about 10 years before their condition (diabetes) causes damage to their kidneys and we may soon see more young adults being diagnosed with renal failure.
“The current lifestyle, which is unhealthy, is among the leading causes of the young developing diabetes,” he said, adding that uncontrolled diabetes would only hasten the onset of renal failure.
Dr Zaki said with more than 5,000 new patients diagnosed with kidney failure every year, the number of Malaysians becoming dependent on dialysis would increase to more than 30,000 by end of this year.
“Of more than 5,000 new cases each year, about 10 to 15 per cent who need regular dialysis will succumb to their condition.
“Statistics in 2013 show that about 28,000 Malaysians are either on haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, and the number is expected to grow to more than 30,000 by year end,” said Dr Zaki, who recently won the International Society of Nephrology Pioneer Award for his outstanding achievements in the region.
Dr Philips Jeremiah, co-chair of the 2015 International Congress of the International Society for Haemodialysis, said about 58 per cent of diabetic patients could develop kidney failure (figures from NKF).
He said while Malaysians should be wary of their unhealthy lifestyle to prevent an increase of new cases in the country, those who have family members with a history of kidney diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and kidney stones should also be wary of hypertension.
He said the Health Ministry was working with the Malaysian Society of Nephrology (MSON) to educate the public and general medical practitioners on the high-risk groups before their health problems lead to kidney failure.
“General practitioners would be the first to meet patients and it is important that we educate them on identifying patients at an early stage to better manage their condition.
“Patients who come to us (nephrologists) are those who have advanced kidney diseases.”
He said the initial examination to screen for kidney-related diseases was a urine test to check for the presence of protein or blood.
“The examination can be conducted by any general practitioner at any clinic. If the results of the urine test indicate either protein, blood or both, they could be at risk of having developed kidney failure.
“From there, we will investigate further,” he said.