A Diagnosis Of Kidney Disease Is Life Changing
Education and Advocacy The statistics are overwhelming. One in 10 Canadians have kidney disease and millions more are at risk.
Kidney disease has a significant impact on patients and their families as they cope with the negative socio-economic impacts of a disease which requires extreme treatment options — a lifetime of dialysis, or a kidney transplant.
Neither treatment option is a cure. Lives are cut short by this insidious disease.
As the incidence of diabetes and chronic high blood pressure continue to rise in Canada, for so many people, the impact on kidney health will be devastating. According to the 2015 Canadian Organ Replacement Register Annual Report (2004-2013), diabetes is the main cause of kidney failure in nearly 36 percent of newly-diagnosed patients; the prevalence rate for patients being treated by dialysis has increased 123 percent since 1994.
Research improving treatment
Thankfully, research discoveries have helped to vastly improve treatment options and to identify kidney disease earlier, slowing its progression. Patients are now able to dialyze at home — some even while sleeping, and the success rate of transplants over the long-term has continuously improved.
We have come a very long way from the early discovery days of dialysis and the first experimental transplants as treatment methods for kidney failure. However, much more needs to be done to prevent the disease through early detection and awareness.
To achieve optimal health status, all people affected by kidney disease need access to healthcare, socio-emotional and financial support. This includes equitable access to appropriate cost-effective treatment close to home. A patient’s background and personal circumstances shouldn’t be the deciding factor when choosing a treatment option. If desired and appropriate, patients must have timely access to successful long-term organ transplantation. Care and support is also required for those who withdraw from or do not wish to start dialysis treatment.
"To achieve optimal health status, all people affected by kidney disease need access to healthcare, socio-emotional and financial support."
Effective provincial and coordinated federal policies must be put in place to support kidney research and kidney care, including organ donation and transplantation.
As Canadians we have achieved many milestones in helping patients with kidney disease. With the work we’ve done, and a stronger coordinated effort, a future without kidney failure is possible.