Last 12 March, the global medical community marked World Kidney Day and this is very important because kidney problems like chronic kidney disease (CKD) is usually asymptomatic, Diabetes Philippines president and chair Dr. Fatma Ibba Tiu said in a Makati press conference recently.

“A patient does not complain of anything. But once the patient comes to us, it’s already late. Normally, the kidney problem is already at the end stage,” she fretted. “When the patient presents with edema, creatinine is very high already.”

Thus, early screening test to detect kidney damage is key, stressed the doctor. “So at this early stage, we can already intervene so that we prevent this particular patient from CKD developing into end-stage renal disease, because once the patient has end-stage renal disease, that’s already for dialysis. And if you could prevent them or if not prevent, delay them from becoming into an end stage, then that’s a big impact in the society already.”

Early screening of kidney problems does not only address the kidney, but also other diseases since renal disease is also related to diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

“So when we do screening, we check the BP (blood pressure), we check the weight, the BMI (body mass index) and we check the sugar. And we add also the UACR (Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio or kidney disease test). And that, in a way, is a perfect example of how we would see a patient to prevent them from having more comorbidities.”

According to her, nephrologists told her that and they estimated that there will be an increased cost if you don’t give the proper drug for a patient’s disease, so if the illness is detected early, it might not progress to any other complication.

Early detection, she affirmed, also benefits the patient’s family, so they, too, could be given proper medical attention and warning.

“Reports said that 50 percent of those with diabetes are not yet diagnosed. So, can you imagine where they are? It is a silent killer. It is mostly asymptomatic. If we do not screen them, we will never be able to diagnose them. And most of the patients come to us because of the complications already. It’s because they feel that there is something wrong, heart attack and stroke before they are diagnosed. So, a major objective to stop diabetes is to get the diagnosed cases as fast as we can. And for those who are already diabetic to screen them for complications, intervene and prevent them from progressing to even more serious conditions.”