PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Society of Nephrology has raised the alarm on an alarming trend, namely the increasing number of diabetic Malaysians with kidney problems.
Its president Prof Dr Abdul Halim Abdul Gafor said according to the Malaysian Dialysis and Transplant Registry 2018, 69% of new patients on dialysis have type 2 diabetes.
This is a worrying trend as more Malaysians are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he said, noting that according to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019 by the Health Ministry, the prevalence of diabetes in adults has increased from 13.4% in 2015 to 18.3% in 2019.
"High blood sugar (blood glucose) can damage blood vessels in the kidneys. When damaged, the kidneys will not work as well," he said.
"Many patients with diabetes will also develop high blood pressure which can also damage the kidneys," added Dr Abdul Halim.
He said in a statement on Saturday (Nov 13) released in conjunction with World Diabetes Day which falls on Nov 14 that the progression to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in diabetic patients can be delayed with care.
As the kidneys are one of the most affected organs in diabetic patients, Dr Abdul Halim said it is advisable for diabetics to go for regular scheduled blood and urine tests to monitor kidney function.
With regular monitoring of kidneys in patients with diabetes, the progression to CKD can be managed or delayed, he added.
A percentage of those with CKD will eventually progress to kidney failure or End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) and require either a kidney transplant or dialysis, he noted.
"However we wish to encourage these patients not to give up hope as options in dialysis treatments and management of kidney failure have improved greatly over the years," said Dr Abdul Halim.
"We are seeing kidney failure patients these days having a much better quality of life compared to years before," he added.
He also said that dialysis patients can enjoy more independence and flexibility with home dialysis or Peritoneal Dialysis which allows the patients to take charge of their lives and plan their dialysis treatment routine.
Dr Abdul Halim said what is important now is the awareness among Malaysians so that the necessary lifestyle changes can be adopted as early interventions can promote better outcomes.
He urged all Malaysians to go for regular check-ups with their healthcare provider to be up to date on their health status.
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