A physician on Tuesday, 24 June, urged young Filipinos to adopt a healthy lifestyle and take preventive steps to protect their kidneys.

In an interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE, Dr. Greta Cortez, Boehringer Ingelheim’s head of medicine, emphasized the need for young people to develop a healthy mindset early in life.

"A lot of young people thought that just because they are still young, they feel that they are invincible. They could not get affected by diabetes, they could not get high blood pressure, or they would think that their kidneys at livers could always be healthy, so they just smoke cigarettes, drink alcoholic beverages, and do not take care of their body," Cortez said.

"So what I wish for the youth is for them to develop a healthy mindset. They need to understand that they need to eat properly, have the right diet, and they need to embed in themselves that physical activities are perfect for their heart, kidneys, and for their mind," she added.

Cortez also encouraged young people to schedule regular check-ups, even if they feel healthy.

"Sometimes they forget that just because they are young, they don't need to have themselves checked yet," Cortez explained.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains a growing public health threat in the Philippines, affecting an estimated 11.2 percent of the population — or approximately 12.94 million Filipinos.