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World Kidney Day – 9 March 2017
“Kidney Disease & Obesity. Healthy Lifestyle for Healthy Kidneys”.
An opportunity to make a significant impact on kidney health awareness and disease prevention
Celebrated every year on the Second Thursday of March, World Kidney Day (WKD) is the global awareness campaign that aims at increasing awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our health and reduce the impact of kidney disease and its associated problems worldwide.
World Kidney Day was first celebrated in 2006. World Kidney Day is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
Why is World Kidney Day Important?
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a non-communicable disease that affects 1 in 10 people worldwide.
While severity can vary, CKD is incurable and causes the patient to need lifelong care. As the incidence of kidney disease escalates, World Kidney Day plays a crucial role in educating the public, the medical community and governments and encouraging prevention and early detection of kidney disease.
Kidney Disease & Obesity
Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. In 2014, worldwide over 600 million adults were obese. Obesity is a potent risk factor for the development of kidney disease. Obesity increases the risk of developing major risk factors of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), like diabetes and hypertension, and it has a direct impact on the development of CKD and end stage renal disease (ESRD).
The good news is that obesity, as well as CKD, is largely preventable. This year World Kidney Day promotes education about the harmful consequences of obesity and its association with kidney disease, advocating healthy lifestyle and health policy measures that make preventive behaviours an affordable option.
Key Messages
- 10% of the global population is affected by Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
- Globally, 2.6 million patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) received dialysis in 2010. This number is projected to almost double to 5.4 million by 2030.
- 600 million people in the world are affected by obesity, 220 million of which are schoolaged children.
- Individuals affected by obesity have an 83% increased risk of CKD, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.
- Obesity is a well-established risk factor for developing major precursors to CKD and ESRD, such as diabetes, hypertension and kidney stones
- Strategies to reduce excess weight and prevent the development of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, will reduce the risk of kidney disease.
According to worldkidneyday.org, there are 8 golden rules for kidney health.
- Keep regular control of your blood sugar. About 50% of people with Diabetes will develop kidney damage. Make sure you are doing all you can to stay in control!
- Keep fit and active. Staying active helps in many areas to keep your kidneys healthy as well as promotes positive mood and weight loss.
- Eat healthy and keep your weight in check. Making good food choices will go hand in hand with staying active to reduce weight and encourage good health.
- Water, water, water! Keeping hydrated is good for your skin as well as your kidneys. Staying hydrated flushes the toxins out of the kidneys and reduces the chance of kidney stones.
- No Smoking! Smoking is bad in many ways, but for the kidneys, the chance of developing cancer in them increases by 50% for smoke
rs. - Stay away from over-the-counter medicine for chronic issues. Many over-the-counter medicines such as ibuprofen can harm your kidneys if taken regularly. It is ok to take for emergencies, but see a physician if you are having chronic pain for options that will not cause harm.
Read more: http://www.worldkidneyday.org
