A report from NHS Kidney Care has found that kidney disease costs the NHS more than breast, lung, colon and skin cancer combined, yet too many cases remain undiagnosed and untreated. Commenting on the report, Dr Charlie Tomson, chairman of the RCP Joint Specialty Committee for Renal Medicine, said:
Chronic kidney disease is an important public health problem, and is often not recognised until very late in its course, because the early stages do not cause symptoms. The personal and financial costs of treating the later stages are very high.
Patients with early kidney disease are particularly likely to benefit from lifestyle changes and drug treatments aimed at the risk factors for heart attacks and strokes, as these will also help reduce the risk of progressive kidney disease. These treatments and lifestyle changes include regular exercise, avoidance or correction of obesity, reduction of salt intake, and correction of high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Visit the NHS Kidney Care website to access the report
For further information, please contact Andrew McCracken, RCP Communications and New Media Adviser, on +44 (0)203 075 1354 / 07990 745 608, or email andrew.mccracken@rcplondon.ac.uk