Diseases can be cured if diagnosed early

Around 600 million people worldwide have some kind of kidney ailment and chronic kidney diseases are predicted to increase by 17 per cent over the next decade if not detected early, said a nephrologist in Mumbai on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion of World Kidney Day, Vivekanand Jha, Executive Director, George Institute for Global Health, India said chronic kidney diseases are considered to be a global health problem but many cases go undiagnosed as people ignore the symptoms of the disease in the early stages.
“In kidney diseases if detected early and treated properly, the deterioration in kidney functioning can be slowed or even stopped,” Jha said.
“Though it is an undeniable fact that chronic kidney disease prevalence rises with age and exceeds 40-50 per cent amongst elders, people should visit doctors at least twice a month for a check up,” said Jha, who is also the secretary of the Indian Society of Nephrology.

“Early detection and prevention will lead not only to improved outcomes, better quality of life, but huge cost-savings on treatment,” said Jha.
Early stage kidney disease is not being identified and diagnosed as early and often as is necessary. Patients are frequently told not to worry until kidney damage has progressed to near failure. Furthermore, patients do not have the necessary education or resources to manage their own risk factors and lifestyle to prevent initial kidney damage and progression of the disease.
Primary care practitioners will know which tests to order and how to recognise early-stage kidney disease, which will increase the total number of diagnoses of kidney disease. In addition, primary care practitioners have the knowledge and tools to treat early-stage kidney disease in order to slow its progression, and refer their patients to nephrologists when they need more specialised care.