98 per cent of people over 50 with chronic kidney disease don’t know they have it

By Michelle Geraghty

One in seven people over 50 have chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Ireland and 98 per cent of those people don’t know they have it.

That’s according to a report issued by The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA) and the National Renal Office. The study is the largest study to date carried out in Ireland on this important health issue.

“This is an extremely important report,” says Prof Matthew Griffin, School of Medicine, University of Galway and Consultant Nephrologist, Galway University Hospitals.

“It shines a light on several related facts that are very familiar to those of us in the kidney health community but are not well recognised or understood among the general public.”

Silent Illness 

“CKD is a common but typically silent health problem in Irish adults that becomes much more common as we get older,” says Prof Griffin. “It increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other life-threatening events.”

He adds that early diagnosis, treatment and monitoring can often reduce the risk of CKD.

“The report resonates strongly and comes as a welcome validation of trends and needs that we see in our day-to-day clinical practices,” he says.  “The majority of patients attending our nephrology practices are older adults who have had known risk factors for CKD such as diabetes and high blood pressure for several years.”

Get checked!

Eoin Madden of the Galway branch of the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) says the report is a reminder to over 50s to ask their GP to check their blood pressure and kidney function regularly. “As the report shows, you could have chronic kidney disease and not even know it,” he adds.

The IKA highlights the main risk factors of kidney disease on their website. These include a family history, age, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, acute kidney injury and long-term use of over-the-counter medications.

Further Investment

“This [report] raises thoughts regarding the need for further investment in dialysis in the West of Ireland,” adds Mr Madden.

There are currently 185 kidney patients receiving dialysis treatment in Galway. 158 of those receive treatment in-centre and 27 patients treat themselves at home.

Last December, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and Minister for Mental Health and Older People Mary Butler announced €15 million in funding to progress new rounds of data collection for TILDA. This will ensure research on ageing well in Ireland will continue.

Research Opportunities

Prof Griffin says the report also reveals many opportunities for the Irish research community to positively impact the lives of people living with or at risk of CKD.

“In the University of Galway’s School of Medicine, we have a number of areas of research and collaboration that align well with the needs identified by the report,” says Prof Griffin. These include research on testing, dietary interventions and stem cell therapies to name a few.