Overeating, stress = high BP, diabetes = chronic kidney diseases: Dr Vivek Pathak

Mangaluru, Jun 15: Stating that diabetes and high blood pressure are the two primary reasons for chronic kidney diseases (CKD), Dr Vivek Pathak, a renowned nephrologist, said that the prevention of such diseases is cheaper to undergoing treatment later.

Dr Pathak, a consultant nephrologist at Kovai Medical Center and Hospitals, Coimbatore, known for steroids-free kidney transplantations, was speaking at the inauguration of Kidney Patients’ Association in the city on Sunday.

“Overeating leads to obesity which in turn leads to diabetes and high BP. No one dies by eating less,” he reminded, adding that stress also would invariably contribute to diabetes and high blood pressure.

Besides diabetes and high BP, such diseases could also happen hereditarily, especially when marriages were done among close relatives. Such practices should stop, he said.

Earlier, the association was formally inaugurated by A B Ibrahim, Deputy Commissioner, DK. Speaking on the occasion, he said that CKD were not included in health schemes because of the alleged involvement of kidney rackets.

However, it was true that patients were forced to undergo physical and financial ordeal, he said. “I will send a proposal to the government to bring them under the Vajpayee Arogyashree scheme,” Mr. Ibrahim said.

In his introductory address, Umar U.H., one of the members of Mangalore Nephro-Urology Charitable Trust that is promoting the association, said unlike other diseases, kidney disease would not be known till both the kidneys were damaged. While many other diseases were covered under government health schemes, chronic kidney diseases were not part of them.

Those undergoing dialyses as well as transplantation would have to spend thousands of rupees every month for medicines and treatment, he said.

Mohammed Saleem, chairman of the Trust, said it had been conducting awareness programmes on kidney diseases for the past three years. So far, help from society — associations, organisations, temple committees, Masjid jamats etc. — was being taken for treatment or dialysis of poor kidney patients. However, such a practice cannot go for long and the association was conceptualised.

Besides creating a corpus for the financial needs of patients, the association would also work as a collective to demand facilities for them, Dr. Saleem said.

Every dialysis centre would have information centres of the association where new patients would be informed about the procedure of treatment and available alternatives. It would primarily aim at disseminating information, he said.