Chronic Kidney Disease and Hypertension: Twin Challenges for 21st Century Europe (y 2)

Chronic Kidney Disease is the general name for persistent irreversible damage to the kidney. In its earliest stages, the kidneys may only have minor structural damage. Often such damage tends to progress if undetected and untreated. One of the signs of early CKD is the presence of small amounts of protein in the urine. More advanced CKD is characterised by progressively greater abnormalities in the chemical composition of the blood, anaemia - a cause of tiredness and shortness of breath - and bone abnormalities. The most advanced form of CKD occurs when the kidney has been nearly completely destroyed and treatment with dialysis or kidney transplantation is required for survival. Many individuals with CKD do not progress to kidney failure and treatment has the twin objectives of correcting the abnormalities resulting from the kidney damage and of preventing progression to more advanced stages.

Many factors contribute to the progression of CKD. The most common causes are diabetes, hypertension, and generalised atherosclerosis. Especially when these factors are associated with the loss of albumin in the urine, renal function will rapidly decline with end stage renal disease being the outcome. An ageing population coupled with the growing prevalence of obesity-related type 2 diabetes has increased the number of people with or at risk of CKD.

About the Survey

The survey was conducted by research agency TNS, among 962 patients, across 5 European countries (France, Germany, UK, Italy and Spain). The sample comprised 227 patients with diabetes, 486 with CVD, and 233 with both conditions. 16 further patients had CKD in combination with diabetes and/or CVD. The survey was conducted to highlight the current gaps in knowledge among at-risk groups (CVD and diabetes patients) and the importance of public health strategies to address the urgent need for CKD recognition. The survey was conducted in February 2009.

    
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Anna Rouillard of EKHA, +32-2-639-6230, anna.rouillard@ekha.eu; or Angela Guillemet of WKD, +353-863-11-40-67, info@worldkidneyday.org