KOTA KINABALU: The rise of chronic kidney disease cases is due to a growing prevalence of non-transmittable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, says Sabah Health Department director Datuk Dr Asits Sanna.
He said based on current statistics, more than a million adults in Malaysia are diagnosed with what is called the tetrad of simultaneous medical conditions - high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and obesity.
“As you may know, patients who are diabetic and have high blood pressure are more prone to suffer from kidney problems,” he said this when officiating a two-day Nephrology in Primary Care conference here starting Oct 4.
“A third of diabetic patients are also those with chronic kidney disease,” said Dr Asits, adding that one in seven patients with high blood pressure also have chronic kidney issues.
“If a person has both diabetes and high blood pressure, the risk of getting chronic kidney problems would also double or triple if not given optimal control measures,” he said.
Therefore, it was imperative that medical practitioners treat these patients comprehensively and holistically, added Dr Asits.
