In response, charity Kidney Care UK is urging people to take their five minute online Kidney Health Checker to understand their level of risk and take action to prolong their kidney health as part of their #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign.
The campaign has the backing of 51-year old Lois Denham, a kidney transplant recipient from Paisley: “Most of us probably haven’t really heard of Chronic kidney disease but I had symptoms – I was exhausted, and I mean really exhausted, not just tired, but constantly.
“Along with this I also had brain fog. Before I had my transplant I was vomiting up to four times a day including through the night. It was horrendous. However, I continued to work almost full time right up to the day before my transplant. But it wasn’t until I had my transplant in January 2023 that I realised just how awful it had been before that. I had just got used to it, it had been so long.”
“Now, thanks to the most wonderful and precious gift from the most incredible person, Josh, I now not only more energy, but I’m also well. I’m able to do and experience so much more. I actually get to live a full and happy life thanks to the selfless generosity of my big hearted friend. I will forever be grateful to him.
“But the point is, that I didn’t know I was at such risk, or how kidney disease could develop itself, what the repercussions would be not just to me health wise but on my family, on my ability to just do everyday things.
“I have polycystic kidneys and I was being monitored. So if you have risk factors like high blood pressure or diabetes or an underlying kidney condition then please, take it seriously. Get yourself checked out and take the advice that doctors give you so you can try and live a healthier, fuller life for longer.
“Like the campaign says, your kidneys are amazing – but you could be losing kidney function without even knowing.”
The most common signs of CKD are: cramps, itchy skin, dietary changes (food tasting different to how it does normally), nausea and/or vomiting, exhaustion, changes to your wee and swelling of your ankles/legs or face.
Our research also showed that:
- Just over a third of people (36%) do not recognise that changes to your wee can be linked to kidney disease.
- Around three quarters (73%) do not realise that itchy skin is a sign of kidney disease.
- Three quarters (76%) do not realise that muscle cramps are a sign that your kidneys may not be working properly.
- Over half (64%) of people in Scotland do not know that puffy face, or swollen ankles/legs is a sign.
- Only 47% of people recognise that exhaustion is a sign.
CKD currently affects 1 in 10 people – equivalent to more than 7 million people in the UK – but 1 million of those are not even aware they have CKD.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes, but more than 70% of people with high blood pressure do not have an annual urine test for CKD; furthermore 45% of people with Type 1 diabetes and 32% of people with Type 2 diabetes do not have their annual urine test for CKD. Unless urgent preventative action is taken to improve diagnosis and treatment rates, CKD is predicted to be the fifth leading cause of death globally by 2040..
Fiona Loud, Director of Policy at Kidney Care UK, said: “We want to see at risk groups in Scotland screened for CKD as early as possible. Delay in the diagnosis of moderate to advanced CKD by just one year results in a 63% higher likelihood of kidney failure requiring costly and burdensome treatment to stay alive, such as dialysis or a transplant.
“This also has a significant effect on people’s mental health and on their ability to work. Whether people are identified early or late, there will always be a cost to the NHS; but by identifying people sooner more can be done to prolong their kidney health, improve their quality of life and reduce the impact on health and other services.”
Whilst age-based screening is offered for people aged 40 to 75 via the NHS Health Check, only half of all people invited for the NHS Health Check take up the offer. Innovations such as the new digital health check programme may make it easier for people to engage with their health. However, it’s important to note that people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes aren’t included in the health check programme.
Laurie Cuthbert, Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications at Kidney Care UK, added: “We are concerned that a lack of symptom awareness amongst the general public in Scotland, combined with a fear of not wanting to burden their GP, means that some are at risk of losing as much as 90% of their kidney function without realising or taking simple steps to look after their kidney health.
“We hope that our #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign will help raise awareness of the Bloody Amazing role they play. By empowering individuals to take control of their kidney health, we want to ensure that more people are diagnosed sooner and ultimately never reach kidney failure.”
Take 5 minutes to protect your kidneys today: