Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Double in 10 Years... KDCA "Revising Lifestyle Guidelines for Prevention"

Kidney-related image [Image source=Pixabay]

The number of chronic kidney disease patients has more than doubled over the past 10 years. Chronic kidney disease refers to a condition where there is kidney damage or decreased kidney function lasting for more than three months.

In celebration of ‘World Kidney Day’ (the 9th), the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, in collaboration with professional societies such as the Korean Medical Association and the Korean Society of Nephrology, developed and announced on the 8th the ‘Chronic Kidney Disease Prevention and Management Information for Me and My Family.’ The prevalence of chronic kidney disease among adults in South Korea was 8.4% as of 2021, showing an increasing trend with age. It was only 1.9% among those aged 19-29, but reached double digits from 12.0% in the 60-69 age group and surged to 26.5% in those aged 70 and above.

Over the past decade, both the number of chronic kidney disease patients receiving treatment and the medical expenses have more than doubled. In 2011, the number of patients and medical expenses for chronic kidney disease were 118,000 and 1.17 trillion KRW, respectively. By 2021, the number of patients and medical expenses increased to 282,000 and 2.39 trillion KRW, representing growth of 139.0% and 104.3% respectively during this period. As of 2021, the average annual medical expense per patient with chronic kidney disease was approximately 8.49 million KRW.

In response to the increasing trend of chronic kidney disease patients, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, together with eight professional societies including the Korean Medical Association, revised the chronic kidney disease prevention and management guidelines originally established in 2012. The guidelines consist of a total of 10 items: seven applicable to both the general public and patients, and three applicable only to patients. According to the guidelines, it is important to undergo regular check-ups for early diagnosis, and high-risk individuals with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and other conditions that cause chronic kidney disease should receive continuous treatment. The guidelines also include healthy lifestyle practices such as “maintaining an appropriate weight,” “eating less salty food,” and “engaging in physical activity for more than 30 minutes daily.”

Professor Oh Guk-hwan of Seoul National University College of Medicine (Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Development and Revision of ‘Chronic Kidney Disease Prevention and Management Information for Me and My Family’) emphasized, “Chronic kidney disease often occurs as a complication of diabetes and hypertension, so attention is needed for high-risk groups such as patients with diabetes, hypertension, or family members of chronic kidney disease patients. Since early symptoms are almost nonexistent and the disease is often detected only after kidney function has significantly declined, regular testing is extremely important.”

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