Kidney Health Australia today nominated the link between high
blood pressure, found in 80% of patients with failed kidneys, as a
major contributor to Chronic Kidney Disease which kills 40 people a
day in Australia.
High blood pressure can independently cause Chronic Kidney
Disease (CKD), contribute to its development or even be the result
of CKD. Studies show that as kidney function worsens the likelihood
that a patient will have high blood pressure increases.
Anne Wilson CEO of Kidney Health Australia said the treatment of
high blood pressure has become the most important intervention in
the management of all forms of chronic kidney disease and the key
message for World Kidney Day in 2009 is to 'Keep The Pressure Down.'
Nearly one
billion people worldwide have high blood pressure and that number is
expected to increase to 1.56 billion by 2025.
High blood pressure is an important risk factor in chronic
kidney disease patients and needs to be carefully monitored. When
people suffer from high blood pressure it puts more stress on blood
vessels throughout the body, including the kidneys.
When this happens kidneys cannot filter wastes from the blood
properly. Achieving the recommended blood pressure goals can reduce
the risk of needing dialysis or experiencing a heart attack or
stroke.
"Our modern lifestyle and pressure of work has placed time
constraints on many people to relax, have time out for exercise or
to consider the impact of fast food diets which adds obesity issues
to the prevention and treatment of kidney disease.
"It is estimated that excess body weight and obesity accounts for
one quarter of blood pressure in men and women. "
Dr Tim Mathew, Medical Director of Kidney Health Australia said
people can prevent hypertension - related kidney damage by keeping
blood pressure below 130/80, having their blood pressure checked on
a regular basis, eating a healthy diet and taking the medication
your doctor prescribes.
"For patients who have hypertension and kidney disease, the most
important treatment is to control blood pressure with drugs to lower
blood pressure and protect the kidneys from further damage."
Media Enquiries:
Anne Wilson, CEO Kidney Health Australia
Mobile: 0400 165 391
Dr Tim Mathew, Medical Director Kidney
Health Australia Mobile: 0416 149 863
Ron Smith National
Media Communications Kidney Health Australia Mobile: 0417 329
201
The State of Australia's Kidneys 2009
1 in 7 Australian adults over the age of 25 years has chronic
kidney disease (stage 1-5).
The 1999-2000 AusDiab survey indicated that 7.8% of participants
were in CKD stages 3-5, 9% had proteinuria or albuminuria (or both)
and 4.6% had haematuria.
At the end of 2007, 9,642 people were receiving dialysis
treatment and 7,128 people were living with a functioning kidney
transplant.
Diabetes is now the major cause of end-stage kidney
disease.
Of the 2,311 new cases of treated ESKD in 2007, the major causes
were diabetic nephropathy (31%), glomerulonephritis (25%) and
hypertension (16%).
Dialysis for CKD is the most frequent reason for
hospitalisation.
In 2006-07, regular dialysis for CKD was recorded as the
principal diagnosis in 933,772 hospitalisations-12.3% of all
hospitalisation in that year.
CKD contributed to a further 187,513 hospitalisations.
Over 1 million hospital bed days or 4% of all bed days in
2006-07, were occupied by people with a principal diagnosis of
CKD.
Risk factors for CKD are common in Australia.
People with CKD in the AusDiab survey had an increased
prevalence of diabetes (14%), high blood pressure (39%),
cardiovascular disease (10%), smoking (18%) and obesity (26%)
compared to people without CKD
Visits to General Practitioners
In a recent GP activity study 10.4% of all patients (>25
years) attending a general practitioner had CKD. Moderate or severe
CKD was present in 5.7%.
79% of all adults had at least one risk factor for CKD
High blood pressure in those with moderate to severe CKD was
controlled to target in only 37% of patients and cholesterol was at
target in only 23%.
62% of all adults had a blood test measuring kidney function
in the preceding 12 months but only 14% had a urine test for CKD
CKD is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality
among Indigenous Australians.
At the end of 2007, there were 1,213 Indigenous Australians
receiving treatment for their ESKD (7.2% of all treated ESKD).
Indigenous Australians were about 14 times as likely to be
hospitalised with CKD compared with other Australians.
Between 2004-06 death rates where CKD was an underlying cause of
death were 7 and 11 times as high as the rates for non-Indigenous
males and females respectively'
