Responsum for CKD

{{user.displayName ? user.displayName : user.userName}}
{{ user.userType }}
Welcome to

Responsum for CKD

Already a member?

Sign in   
Do you or someone you know have CKD?

Become part of the foremost online community!

Sign Up Now

Or, download the Responsum for CKD app on your phone

Blood Purification

Blood Purification

Raising Awareness for Chronic Kidney Disease to Improve Detection and Prevention

Raising Awareness for Chronic Kidney Disease to Improve Detection and Prevention

Learn more about the necessary intervention methods decided at World Kidney Day 2020 on how to increase disease awareness to improve detection and prevention.


Published on {{articlecontent.article.datePublished | formatDate:"MM/dd/yyyy":"UTC"}}
Last reviewed on {{articlecontent.article.lastReviewedDate | formatDate:"MM/dd/yyyy":"UTC"}}

As the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases on a global scale, CKD is projected to become the fifth most common cause of death by 2040. In direct contrast to this fact is that “the onset and progression of CKD is often preventable,” as stated in the January 2021 edition of Blood Purification.* An editorial on World Kidney Day 2020 in this medical journal explores the different types of interventions needed to “promote and advance CKD prevention.”

What are the inventions and their goals?

Three different types of intervention methods were created, each addressing different populations:

  • Primary: Individuals at high risk for developing CKD
  • Secondary: Individuals with early-stage CKD
  • Tertiary: Individuals with late-stage CKD

At each of these levels, there are different goals, which include:

  • Primary: Intervening with appropriate education before the onset of CKD to high-risk groups, such as individuals with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity 
  • Secondary: Slowing CKD progression and/or delaying the transition to dialysis through education on blood pressure control and a low-protein diet
  • Tertiary: Managing symptoms of advanced CKD, such as uremia and fluid overload

What methods can be used to improve awareness?

Given that early CKD stages have little to no symptoms, developing a screening tool is key to initiate an intervention. While universal screening would be expensive and likely not beneficial, there needs to be a tool to identify high-risk individuals to screen. 

High-risk individuals would include people with: 

  • Diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • Family history of CKD
  • Taking potential nephrotoxic drugs, such as certain herbs, substances, or indigenous medicines
  • History of acute kidney injury (AKI)
  • Older than 65 years 

What would the screening entail?

For high-risk individuals, CKD can be screened using two tests:

  • Urine test for detection of proteinuria (protein in the urine)
  • Blood test to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), i.e. how well the kidneys are working

According to the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) resolution, high-risk individuals should be screened yearly if no abnormality is detected on initial screening. Depending on professional availability in certain areas, physicians, nurses, paramedical staff, and other trained healthcare professionals would all be suitable to perform the screening.

What should happen post-screening?

For individuals detected with any stage of CKD, a referral to a general physician with experience in CKD will be provided. A management protocol, including a referral to a nephrologist, i.e. kidney doctor, should also be provided to the general physician. 

Due to the complexity of CKD, a multi-disciplinary team would be beneficial to a patient. To prevent disease progression, especially the burden of dialysis, it’s recommended that a patient’s care team consist of a:

  • Nephrologist
  • Nurse
  • Renal dietitian
  • Social worker
  • Health psychologist

How can e-learning improve education and awareness?

While online learning has become increasingly popular, there are a few obstacles associated with it:

  • Complex nature of kidney disease
  • Low baseline awareness
  • Limited health literacy
  • Limited availability of CKD information
  • Lack of readiness to learn

Reputable healthcare organizations should work to address these obstacles and increase online engagement through:

  • Patient groups
  • Community partnership with charitable and philanthropic groups 
  • Patient empowerment on prevention and treatment 

*Li P.K.-T., Garcia-Garcia G., Lui S.-F., Andreoli S., et al. (2021, Jan.) Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere – From Prevention to Detection and Equitable Access to Care. Blood Purification. https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/506966

Source: {{articlecontent.article.sourceName}}

 

Join the CKD Community

Receive daily updated expert-reviewed article summaries. Everything you need to know from discoveries, treatments, and living tips!

Already a Responsum member?

Available for Apple iOS and Android