Chronic kidney disease linked to greater risk of cardiac death
World Kidney Day, on 10 March, provided a timely reminder that one in three adult Australians are at increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease, which can increase the risk of deaths from heart disease up to 10 to 20 times compared to individuals without chronic kidney disease.
Dr Ronald McCoy, of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners said that chronic kidney disease is much more common than many people realise and can cause severe illness beyond just the kidneys, such as heart disease and high blood pressure.
Although one in seven adult Australians show some signs of chronic kidney disease, many people don’t realise that up to one in three are at increased risk of developing the condition – this is potentially a very common condition.
The main problem is that there are usually no symptoms of early chronic kidney disease and the key to improving life is through early detection of those at risk of kidney disease through yearly checks with their general practitioner.
For more, visit http://www.kidney.org.au
