Alarming rise in kidney disease, says NFK

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians suffering from kidney disease is rising at an alarming rate of 10 to 15% annually and this will continue if people refuse to change their unhealthy lifestyle.
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) vice-chairman, Dr Thiruventhiran, said according to the National Renal Registry data, a total of 5,000 new patients registered in 2012.
He said the data for 2013 would be released in May, and the percentage was expected to increase further.
"We are concerned about Malaysians who are ignoring good habits like eating healthy, maintaining a good diet and exercising regularly. This causes diabetes and hypertension, and ultimately leads to kidney failure," he told reporters after attending a "Dance Marathon" organised by the foundation here today.
He said so far there were more than 35,000 kidney patients in Malaysia and of the total, 58% were attributed to diabetes, while 8% was due to high blood pressure.
The fund-raising "Dance Marathon" raised RM15,000 which will be used to provide dialysis treatment for the less fortunate. – Bernama