Chronic kidney disease is becoming one of the world’s biggest health challenges, yet many people have never heard of it until it reaches an advanced stage.
A new series of papers published in The Lancet warns that millions of people around the globe may be living with kidney disease without knowing it, putting them at risk of serious illness, disability, and early death.
The research was led by Dr. Jennifer Lees from the University of Glasgow and involved experts from several countries. The authors are calling for greater awareness, earlier testing, and better access to treatment to prevent the growing burden of kidney disease.
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that filter waste products and extra fluid from the blood. They also help regulate blood pressure, support bone health, and maintain the body’s balance of minerals and fluids.
When the kidneys become damaged over time, they gradually lose their ability to perform these important jobs. This condition is known as chronic kidney disease, or CKD.
According to the researchers, CKD currently affects about 844 million adults worldwide. It is already the ninth leading cause of death globally and is expected to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2040 if current trends continue. Despite its growing impact, diagnosis rates remain alarmingly low.
One major problem is that chronic kidney disease often develops silently. In its early and middle stages, most people have no symptoms at all. Many patients only discover they have the disease when their kidneys have already been seriously damaged and treatments such as dialysis or a kidney transplant may soon be needed.
Researchers say one of the easiest ways to identify kidney disease early is through a simple urine test that looks for protein in the urine. Protein can leak into the urine when the kidneys are damaged. The test is inexpensive, quick, and widely available. However, it is not routinely performed in many healthcare settings.
The Lancet papers estimate that between 30% and 50% of cases in high-income countries remain undiagnosed. In lower-income countries, the percentage is believed to be even higher. Some groups face an especially high risk of being overlooked.
Women and people from non-white backgrounds may be up to twice as likely to remain undiagnosed compared with white men.
Even when people receive a diagnosis, awareness remains surprisingly low. Researchers estimate that about nine out of ten people who have chronic kidney disease listed in their medical records do not know they have the condition.
The disease is closely linked to other common health problems. Diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, and increasing age all raise the risk of developing kidney disease. Because these conditions are becoming more common worldwide, the number of people with CKD is also rising.
The researchers highlight encouraging advances in diagnosis and treatment. New testing methods, including biomarkers, genetic testing, and kidney biopsies, are helping doctors better understand why kidney disease develops in different individuals.
At the same time, newer medications can slow or even stop disease progression in many patients when treatment begins early.
Experts say early detection is essential because treatment is most effective before major kidney damage occurs. Routine urine testing, blood tests that measure kidney function, and blood pressure monitoring could help identify many cases years before symptoms appear.
The researchers also point to the enormous economic cost of failing to address the problem. Kidney Research UK estimates that if diagnosis rates do not improve, hundreds of thousands more people could develop advanced kidney disease in the coming years, placing a major burden on healthcare systems and national economies.
The findings present a clear message. Chronic kidney disease is common, serious, and frequently missed. The study’s greatest strength is that it brings together evidence from leading international experts and highlights opportunities for earlier diagnosis and treatment.
However, the challenge remains turning this knowledge into routine healthcare practice worldwide. The evidence strongly suggests that wider use of simple kidney tests could save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and help millions of people avoid severe kidney failure.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about how to protect your kidneys from diabetes, and drinking coffee could help reduce risk of kidney injury.
For more health information, please see recent studies about foods that may prevent recurrence of kidney stones, and eating nuts linked to lower risk of chronic kidney disease and death.
Source: University of Glasgow.
