About a million Czechs have kidney disease: The disease does not hurt at first

In the most serious cases, their carriers cannot avoid dialysis, a more favorable option is a kidney transplant. The most common cause of deterioration of the function of this important organ is type 2 diabetes. However, high blood pressure or atherosclerosis – hardening of the arteries – also pose a risk.

Patients with damaged kidneys are helped by drugs that can slow down the disease, thereby delaying kidney failure and the need for dialysis by an order of years. “In most patients, kidney damage does not manifest itself in the early stages. The first signal may be protein in the urine or new-onset hypertension in younger patients. This is usually discovered by a general practitioner during a preventive examination. Although this does not immediately mean complications and reduced quality of life, it is a warning,” says prof. MD Romana Ryšavá, CSc., member of the committee of the Czech Nephrological Society.

In the advanced stage of the disease, patients may also have swollen legs, become watery or find blood in their urine. According to prof., the exact numbers of the incidence of the disease can be Red only guess. “Many patients do not know about kidney damage. However, studies show that about 10-12% of the population suffers from CKD. This equates to one million people with kidney disease in the Czech Republic,” points out.

According to doctors, kidney damage is caused by several factors, but type 2 diabetes remains the most prevalent. “We encounter diabetic nephropathy most often, accounting for approximately 40% of cases. High blood pressure also causes damage, and to a lesser extent, congenital kidney disease and autoimmune disease, it can be around 10%.” says prof. Redhead.

when the kidneys fail…

Because of the close connection with kidney disease, diabetologists and general practitioners should regularly monitor the level of protein in the urine of diabetics. Kidney damage can go so far that the kidneys begin to fail completely.

“The patient then has no choice but to undergo a kidney transplant. In the Czech Republic, we perform about 500 of them every year. However, not all patients are suitable for a transplant, either because of their age or their general state of health, and they are then referred to dialysis. Approximately 6,500 people visit it regularly, of which about 35% are for diabetes.” says prof. Redhead.

According to her, thanks to advances in technology, the number of patients in the Czech Republic who perform dialysis at home is increasing. Doctors have medicines available for patients with kidney disease, called gliflozins. In addition to protecting the kidneys, they also help in the treatment of diabetes and heart failure.

“Gliflozins represent a real revolution in treatment options and prognosis for our patients. It dampens the increased filtration pressure in the kidney glomeruli and thus protects them from damage. They also reduce the loss of protein in the urine. Depending on the initial degree of kidney damage, we can delay the need for dialysis by up to several years.” says prof. Redhead.

Prevention is key

According to her, the trend now is to start treatment as soon as possible and keep patients on it long-term. According to experts, prevention is also key. “We should especially watch out for diabetics, people with high blood pressure or other cardiovascular diseases. We have to monitor them, either as part of preventive measures or dispensary visits. It is also appropriate to monitor patients who have kidney diseases in the family,” adds prof. Redhead.

In addition to checking the protein in the urine, doctors can also perform a simple blood test that will show the state of kidney function. Therefore, experts recommend that people do not neglect preventive examinations, which can detect kidney disease before it reaches an advanced stage and begins to manifest itself.