By Joshua Robinson –
New data released on Wednesday 16th October, by the UK’s leading kidney patient support charity, highlights an alarming lack of knowledge of the main signs of chronic kidney disease (CKD), with just under a third (31%) unable to identify the seven main signs of a loss of kidney function (compared to the national average of 27%).
The most common signs of CKD are cramps, itchy skin, dietary changes (food tasting different from how it does normally), nausea and/or vomiting, exhaustion, changes to urine, and swelling of ankles/legs or face. The research also showed that:
- Over one-third of people (38%) do not recognise that urine changes can be linked to kidney disease.
- 4 in 5 (80%) do not realise that itchy skin is a sign of kidney disease.
- 83% do not realise that muscle cramps indicate that kidneys may not be working properly.
- Three-quarters (75%) of people do not know that puffy face or swollen ankles/legs is a sign.
- Less than half of people (57%) recognise that exhaustion is a sign.
CKD currently affects 1 in 10 people – equivalent to more than 7 million people in the UK – but 1 million of those are not even aware they have CKD. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes, but more than 70% of people with high blood pressure do not have an annual urine test for CKD. Furthermore, 45% of people with Type 1 diabetes and 32% of people with Type 2 diabetes do not have their annual urine test for CKD.
In response, the charity, Kidney Care UK, is urging people to take their five-minute online Kidney Health Checker to understand their level of risk and take action to prolong their kidney health as part of the #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign. The campaign has the backing of people living with CKD across the UK, including a healthcare worker from Leeds and a former paramedic from Bradford – both of whom were surprised to find out they had kidney disease.
Janet was told that she had Stage 3 CKD earlier this year after a routine annual check-up. Although she had no symptoms, Janet was being monitored for high blood pressure and both of her parents were diagnosed with diabetes.
Janet said: “I went to the GP last year and was shocked to be told I had chronic kidney disease. I had no idea I had it – but it had been noted in my medical records back in 2011, after I had kidney cancer in 2009.”
“No one had thought to tell me. That matters because I carried on taking ibuprofen to relieve pain – without knowing I shouldn’t have been taking it because it isn’t suitable for people with kidney disease.”
“My kidney function is now down to around 50%. But if I had known then what the health implications were for me, I would have adapted my eating habits, watched what medicines I took – and protected my kidneys more. It’s about empowering people with knowledge so they can hopefully prevent the progression of a disease that can have a profound impact on their lives.”
Bradford-based Mohammed “Izzy” Islam, 48, was involved in the development of the campaign. He is at Stage 5, which is classed as kidney failure, and is back on the transplant list having received a kidney from his brother which stopped working after seven years.
He says: “I think the #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign is a fantastic idea – we need something bold that will make people pay attention because not enough people are aware of the signs they their kidneys might not be working as they should. I’ve found this is especially true within the Asian community but as the research shows, it’s the same across Yorkshire and even the UK. I would urge everyone, especially people who are more at risk because of high blood pressure or diabetes, to get themselves checked out, just so they can be aware of what they should and shouldn’t be doing to protect themselves and their kidneys.”
Fiona Loud, Director of Policy at Kidney Care UK, said: “We want to see at risk groups in Yorkshire and the Humber screened for CKD as early as possible. Delay in the diagnosis of moderate to advanced CKD by just one year results in a 63% higher likelihood of kidney failure requiring costly and burdensome treatment to stay alive, such as dialysis or a transplant. This also has a significant effect on people’s mental health and on their ability to work. Whether people are identified early or late, there will always be a cost to the NHS; but by identifying people sooner more can be done to prolong their kidney health, improve their quality of life and reduce the impact on health and other services.”
Whilst age-based screening is offered for people aged 40 to 75 via the NHS Health Check, only half of all people invited for the NHS Health Check take up the offer. Innovations such as the new digital health check programme may make it easier for people to engage with their health. However, it’s important to note that people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes aren’t included in the health check programme.
Laurie Cuthbert, Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications at Kidney Care UK, added: “We are concerned that a lack of symptom awareness amongst the general public, combined with a fear of not wanting to burden their GP, means that some are at risk of losing as much as 90% of their kidney function without realising10 or taking simple steps to look after their kidney health. We hope that our #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign will help raise awareness of the Bloody Amazing role they play. By empowering individuals to take control of their kidney health, we want to ensure that more people are diagnosed sooner and ultimately never reach kidney failure.”
To learn more, please visit: https://kidneycareuk.org/kidney-health-checker/
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