Survey results are alarming
With the research revealing more than 60% of patients were already experiencing moderate to severe loss of kidney function by the time they were diagnosed, earlier testing and intervention are crucial in halting the progression of kidney disease, said Alison Railton, head of policy and external affairs at Kidney Research UK: “Newly recommended drugs can slow down kidney disease progression but not only are too few eligible patients being offered these, many patients are also missing out on valuable time to protect their kidneys due to late diagnosis.
“The results from our survey show, alarmingly, that patients are unnecessarily suffering due to late diagnosis. And we know the number of patients in the more advanced stages of kidney disease is projected to grow by almost 700,000 within ten years if drastic change is not made.”
Dr Kristin Veighey, who is both an academic GP registrar and a consultant nephrologist based in Hampshire, says there are numerous issues contributing to the reasons why people are diagnosed at a far later stage than is ideal: “It’s so important that we’re able to look at the overall trend of people’s kidney function over an appropriate period of time in order to spot a worrying decline and intervene.
“GPs understand the importance of testing at-risk patients – early diagnosis and intervention is a key part of our role – but we need the resources to deliver it.”
Alison Railton continued: “Government must invest in prevention and early detection and equip GPs to test people at risk of developing kidney disease to identify those who could benefit from medications and advice. Last year, we issued a report sounding the alarm that kidney disease is on the cusp of becoming a public health emergency that could cripple the NHS, with the number of dialysis patients predicted to increase by almost 400 per cent by 2033. The time to act is now.”
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- Source: https://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/2024/03/14/late-diagnosis-causes-irreversible-and-major-harm-to-kidney-patients/