14
THE HEALTH | APRIL, 2020
| Insight |
AN ALARMING
RISE IN KIDNEY
DISEASE PATIENTS
However, the introduction of biosimilar products can
bring some cost relief to many of these patients
T
HE incidence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
among Malaysians is rising. If this trend
continues, it will become the fi fth leading cause
of deaths in the country by 2040. Among the
main reasons are obesity, which increases the
risk factor leading to diabetes, cardiovascular
disease and hypertension. So, take care of your
health if you don’t want to be part of these grim
statistics. The message to Malaysians is clear; go for early
screening as well as seek treatment for prevention.
However, if you’re unfortunate to be struck by CKD,
the good news is that the cost of treatment can now
be reduced with biosimilar products. A biosimilar
is a ratifi ed product that is produced based on an
original product approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration (USFDA). It is formulated from a cell line
from living organisms and is therefore not identical with
the original product but has a similar and equal eff ect.
The Health spoke to four people on current renal
disease issues, it’s prevention and the role of biosimilars
in helping reducing treatment costs. These are their
views.
A healthy lifestyle
will help prevent
kidney disease
BY CAMILIA REZALI
A
T THE rate the incidence of
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
is increasing, it will soon be
the fi fth leading global cause
of death by 2040 and third in
South East Asia,
President of the Malaysian
Society of Nephrology(MSN),
Dr Sunita Bavanandan, underlined the
probability saying the epidemiological
trend of CKD prevalence in Malaysia has
risen from 9.07 per cent in 2011 to 15.5 per
cent in the years 2017-2018. This is due to
the increasing prevalence of diabetes,
obesity and the ageing population.
CKD is a state of permanent loss
of kidney function that occurs in fi ve
stages. A person’s stage of CKD depends
on the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR),
which measures the fi ltration capacity
of the kidney. End Stage Renal Disease
(ESRD), on the other hand, is the most
advanced stage where without dialysis and
transplantation, a person can’t sustain life.
“The major risk factors of CKD are
diabetes, cardiovascular disease and
hypertension. Obesity is also important as
indirectly it is associated with these major
CKD risk factors and directly, can also
cause kidney damage” said Dr Sunita, who
also heads the Department of Nephrology
at Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL).
“We should have a healthy lifestyle;
exercise regularly and keep a balanced
diet. Minimise salt consumption, be on
a high-fi bre diet, drink lots of water and
stop smoking. Going for regular screening
is important because this disease lacks
early-stage symptoms.
Potentially
nephrotoxic
substances such
as painkillers
The registry data shows
and herbal
that in 2017 there are
medications that
42,109 patients on renal
have not been
replacement therapy
properly tested
in Malaysia.
must be avoided,”
shared Dr Sunita.
In Malaysia, the leading
cause of ESRD is diabetes. This
has remained unchanged the past few
years, accounting from 65 per cent to 68
per cent of patients. The statistics on ESRD
comes from recorded cases under the
Malaysian Dialysis and Transplantation
Registry. The registry data shows that in
2017 there are 42,109 patients on renal
replacement therapy in Malaysia.
A research projection based on the
statistics from the local registry on kidney
disease estimates more than 50,000
patients will be on dialysis by 2020. If the
predicted trend is not corrected, there
could be more than 100,000 patients on
dialysis by 2040.
The life expectancy of a patient with
CKD depends on the primary cause, the
other diseases which they may be suff ering
from (co-morbidities) and whether they
are managed optimally. Managing CKD
at the advanced stage will either mean
getting a kidney transplant, undergoing
dialysis or palliative care. It is clear that
there needs to be more focus on CKD
prevention and detection in the earlier
stages. This is where interventions will
have the highest benefi ts for individuals
and healthcare systems. —The Health
FACT
Obesity contributes indirectly to
CKD by increasing the risks
of diseases such as Diabetes,
Hypertension, and Cardiovascular
disease which cause CKD.” — Dr Sunita