A study conducted by researchers from New York University, the University of Glasgow, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington revealed high rates of kidney failure worldwide.
According to the “News medical life science” website, the study indicated an increase in the number of people with kidney failure globally, from 378 million people with this disease in 1990, to 788 million people in 2023, making it among the top ten causes of death in the world for the first time.
The analysis explored the increase in this disease, as the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste and excess fluids from the blood, and no symptoms may appear in mild cases, while more severe stages may require dialysis, kidney replacement therapy, or organ transplantation.
The results revealed that about 14% of adults around the world suffer from chronic kidney disease, and that about 1.5 million people died from this condition in 2023, an increase of more than 6% since 1993, taking into account differences in the age demographics of countries over time.
Study details
The research was conducted as part of the Global Burden of Disease 2023 study, the most comprehensive global effort to track health losses across countries and over time, and its findings are widely used to guide policy-making and inform global health research.
In this study, the team analyzed 2,230 published papers and national health databases in 133 countries. Besides looking for patterns of diagnoses and deaths, the team also examined the impact of disability caused by chronic kidney disease.
Another key finding was that poor kidney function, in addition to causing direct death, was a major risk factor for heart disease, contributing to about 12% of cardiovascular disease deaths globally. The results also showed that in 2023, this condition ranked 12th among the leading causes of poor quality of life due to disability. The biggest risk factors for kidney disease were found to be high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high body mass index (a measure of obesity).
Preventing kidney failure
There are several steps that help prevent kidney failure, which are:
Maintaining blood sugar levels
Maintain blood pressure levels.
Quit smoking
Avoid food rich in sodium.
Regular examination of your kidneys.
