Chronic kidney disease strikes Indians at a younger age. The mean age for chronic kidney disease or CKD in India is 50 years, though the disease can strike even at 35

Syed Akbar
Hyderabad:  Chronic kidney disease strikes Indians at a younger
age. The mean age for chronic kidney disease or CKD in India is 50
years, though the disease can strike even at 35.

Within the country, CKD strikes at a younger age among people living
in the north. CKD patients from the east are much older. Patients with
CKD of unknown cause (etiology) are younger, poorer and more likely to
present with advanced kidney troubles.

A multi-city study conducted by a team of doctors including those from
Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam revealed that 35.5 per cent of patients,
whose data was collected, are from the south while 27.9 per cent are
from the north. About 25 per cent of patients are from the west and 11
per cent from the east.

The research was based on the data collected from the Indian Chronic
Kidney Disease Registry. The study revealed that kidney complications
caused by diabetes (diabetic nephropathy) is the commonest cause (31
per cent), followed by CKD of undetermined etiology (16 per cent). The
study revealed that about 48 per cent cases are in stage V of kidney
disease. Incidentally, they are younger than those in stages III and IV.

Patients in lower income groups had more advanced CKD. The study
confirms the emergence of diabetic nephropathy as the pre-eminent
cause in India. It is the first ever research report based on the data
of Indian CKD Registry, which was set up seven years ago.

“CKD of undetermined etiology is encountered most frequent in the
southern part of the country (20.2 per cent) but in the East Zone, it
was reported in only 10 per cent. Diabetic nephropathy was reported
less frequently from the West Zone,” the study pointed out.

Chronic kidney disease has emerged as a major public health problem in
the last 10 years. However, there has been no research study on the
gravity of the health menace. The present study highlighted difference
in the CKD population going to private or public sector hospitals.

The CKD population in the public sector hospitals comprised a higher
proportion of younger patients from poorer socioeconomic classes
presenting in stages V CKD of uncertain etiology. However, there was
no difference in the proportion of diabetic kidney disease.