KUALA LUMPUR: Diabetes has been found to be the main reason behind people suffering from chronic kidney disease.
Head of the Department of Nephrology, Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban, Negri Sembilan Dr Lily Mushahar said 66% of 55,000 patients requiring dialysis are diabetics.
She said that besides diabetes, about 30% of patients’ chronic kidney problem can be attributed to high blood pressure. Other factors include genetic diseases, kidney cancer, consumption of pain killers and supplements without seeking the advice of doctors.
“The number of kidney patients increases each year. A total of 7,000 new patients are detected in the country who are suffering from kidney problems and must undergo dialysis treatment each year,” she said in the program Ruang Bicara produced by Bernama News Channel titled Chronic Kidney Diseases, last night.
She said that unbalanced food and the preference for sweet food were the causes for diabetes and subsequently contributed to kidney diseases.
Meanwhile Nephrology Expert Consultant, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia Dr Nor Fadhlina Zakaria who also appeared as a guest in the program said health screening was important and should be done every year while more often screening should be carried out on patients suffering from diabetes and hypertension.
She said that the rate of kidney donation in the country was still low, that is. Only 1.3% out of the approximately 30 million Malaysian population who registered as kidney donors.
“About 21,000 patients who have undergone dialysis treatment are waiting for kidney donors and the situation is serious as no family member wants to come forward and donate,” she added. — Bernama
