Written by Vivaan Kapoor, Youth Medical Forum
Hermes Auto. “More People in Singapore Getting Kidney Failure, but at a Slightly Later Age.” The Straits Times, 25 Apr. 2021, www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/more-people-getting-kidney-failure-but-at-a-slightly-later-age.
Kidneys are essential organs in our bodies. They are involved in removing waste products, such as urea, which is the product of the breakdown of amino acids by the liver. Most importantly, it is involved in removing excess fluid in the body to maintain a balanced water potential outside cells. Other purposes include balancing minerals, pH levels and chemicals (including electrolytes) in the blood; stimulating red blood cell production; regulating calcium for healthy bones; and controlling blood pressure.
Kidney failure, also known as End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), occurs when the kidneys have lost their ability to filter waste and remove excess fluid. This occurs at the fifth stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is irreversible. Kidney failure is unfortunately extremely prevalent in Singapore. On average, over five new patients are diagnosed with kidney failure daily in Singapore. Singapore also ranks 4th in the world for the prevalence of kidney failure and 7th for new cases of kidney failure. The major cause of kidney failure in Singapore is diabetes and high blood pressure. High blood glucose levels due to body resistance to insulin damage renal blood vessels which over time reduces its filtering ability. 2 in 3 cases of kidney failure in Singapore are diabetes-induced and Singapore ranks 1st in the world for diabetes-induced kidney failure.
Symptoms of ESRD include loss of appetite, diarrhoea, bloatedness, breathing difficulty, swelling, nausea, anaemia and loss of consciousness. There are two ways of dealing with ESRD, one is a kidney transplant. However, this option is not usually taken by patients as it is costly and has long waiting lists (on average over 9 years). The other common intervention is dialysis. There are two types of Kidney dialysis, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
Hemodialysis involves the cleansing of toxins, control of chemical levels in the blood and regulation of blood pressure through being connected with a kidney dialysis machine. The patient is connected, through two needles inserted in their veins, to a dialyzer, which is a machine made up of tiny capillaries. Waste products diffuse through the membranes of the capillaries in the dialyzer and the purified blood returns to the patient’s bloodstreams. Patients will have to come to centres multiple times a week to keep healthy.
Peritoneal dialysis involves the introduction of sterile fluid into the peritoneal cavity of the abdomen. This fluid then circulates and drains out impurities in blood vessels in the abdomen. It involves the introduction of a permanent connector which serves as an opening for this exchange to occur. It is relatively painless, home-based and works more like the natural kidney. Unfortunately, the aggregate cost of kidney treatments is $190 million annually. This is where charities such as the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) step in to provide these treatments to less fortunate patients.
Despite the average age of kidney failure patients being 65, there have been increasing cases of ESRD in younger patients. Therefore, there are many things that can be done to prevent this from occurring. You can consume less sodium, sugar and fats, as they are known to aggravate risks of diabetes. Practice exercise frequently and eat more home-cooked meals.
Works Cited
Hermes Auto. “More People in Singapore Getting Kidney Failure, but at a Slightly Later Age.” The Straits Times, 25 Apr. 2021, www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/more-people-getting-kidney-failure-but-at-a-slightly-later-age.
National Kidney Foundation Singapore. “The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Singapore.” Nkfs.org, nkfs.org/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
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