Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a permanent deterioration of the structure and / or function of the kidneys, usually caused by another condition, the most common causes being hypertension (but also other cardiovascular diseases) and diabetes. In CKD, your kidneys no longer function so well to keep your body constants within normal limits.
The first signs of CKD can be very discreet, so for the most part, nothing catches your attention that you suffer from CKD. The evolution towards the final stage of CKD, when it is necessary to replace the renal function by dialysis or kidney transplant, can take several years, depending on the cause of CKD and also, on how the disease was monitored by the nephrologist.
Slowing the progression of the disease is possible, so it is vital to have an early diagnosis and work closely with your nephrologist to monitor you and find the most appropriate treatment option.
CKD has become a major public health issue worldwide. It affects 1 in 10 people globally. An estimated 850 million people worldwide have kidney disease of various causes. This number is twice that of people living with diabetes (422 million) and is 20 times higher than the prevalence of cancer worldwide (42 million) or people living with AIDS / HIV (36.7 million). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes at least 2.4 million deaths per year and is the 6th fastest growing cause of death (WKD 2019). Between 5.3 and 10.5 million patients with CKD require dialysis or kidney transplantation, although many do not receive these treatments due to lack of resources or financial barriers.
In Romania, it is estimated that over 1,180,700 people, aged between 20 and 79, have chronic kidney disease, according to the PREDATORR-2013 study and only 45,240 (2%) are found in the records of General Practitionary (Cepoi, 2011), probably those with already severely impaired renal function, with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eRFG) <30 ml / min / 1.73 m², when secondary prophylaxis measures are very limited.