Do You Know 'World Kidney Day'? Second Thursday of March... Take Care of Your Kidney Health, the Body's Natural Filter

Daedong Hospital Specialist Igahee, Protect Health with Regular Checkups for Chronic Kidney Disease Without Early Symptoms

March 11 is "World Kidney Day."
[Image source=Clipart Korea]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Do you know about ‘World Kidney Day’?

This year, March 11th is ‘World Kidney Day.’ To raise awareness about the importance of kidneys, the International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations jointly proposed in 2006 that the second Thursday of March each year be designated as ‘World Kidney Day.’

The kidney, nicknamed the body’s ‘filter,’ is about the size of an adult fist, shaped like a kidney bean, and located on the back side.

Also called the kidney, it plays a role in removing unnecessary waste while retaining necessary substances among the waste generated in the body.

It also maintains electrolyte balance, regulates blood pressure by controlling renin hormone secretion and salt excretion, and activates vitamin D to help absorb calcium in the body, enabling the formation of strong bones.

When the kidney is damaged or its function declines for more than three months due to various causes, it is called ‘chronic kidney disease’ or ‘chronic renal failure.’

In Korea, the number of patients is increasing due to aging and the rise of risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension. According to the National Interest Disease Statistics of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients increased by 46.1%, from 170,576 in 2015 to 249,283 in 2019.

Dr. Lee Ga-hee, head of the Artificial Kidney Center at Daedong Hospital (specialist in nephrology), said, “In the case of chronic kidney disease, there are often no symptoms in the early stages, and many people only become aware after the disease has significantly progressed,” adding, “It is good to pay attention to your kidneys regularly and get diagnosed if you have risk factors or suspicious symptoms.”

Department Head Igahee, Artificial Kidney Center, Daedong Hospital.

Those at high risk of developing chronic kidney disease include ▲diabetes ▲hypertension ▲obesity ▲smokers ▲age over 50 ▲family history of kidney disease, diabetes, or hypertension ▲persistent foamy urine or hematuria ▲kidney infections. Therefore, in such cases, it is necessary to check for abnormalities in kidney function through regular examinations.

Especially if proteinuria or hematuria is observed during the examination, or if there are suspicious symptoms such as foamy urine, hematuria, frequent urination, unusual odor in urine, rapid weight changes, or back pain, it is advisable to consult a nephrology specialist.

For diagnosis, urine and blood tests are conducted to check blood urea nitrogen levels, blood creatinine levels, and glomerular filtration rate. Based on test indicators, the disease is classified from stage 1 to 5, and treatment aims to stop or delay the progression to the final stage of kidney function through medication, dietary therapy, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or kidney transplantation.

To prevent chronic kidney disease, blood pressure and blood sugar should be regularly monitored, and if hypertension or diabetes is present, consistent treatment is necessary.

Adopt a low-sodium diet with less than 2g of sodium per day, maintain regular exercise and a normal weight. It is essential to quit smoking and avoid alcohol.

Meanwhile, Daedong Hospital’s Artificial Kidney Center completed an expansion remodeling in January and is now operating with two nephrology specialists.

The hospital stated that it has greatly improved the treatment environment by operating the latest facilities and a total of 26 dialysis beds and equipment.

Through collaborative care with various specialists such as endocrinology, cardiology, vascular surgery, and radiology, the center has established a system to provide customized dialysis treatment for each patient and offers internationally standardized treatment for dialysis patients, earning the Excellent Artificial Kidney Unit certification from the Korean Society of Nephrology for two consecutive times.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.