College Of GPs Highlights That Individuals With Chronic Kidney Disease Have A Greater Risk Of Cardiac Death, Australia

World Kidney Day, taking place on 10 March, provides a timely reminder that one in three adult Australians are at increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease, which can increase the risk of deaths from heart disease up to 10 to 20 times compared to individuals without chronic kidney disease.



"When we think of kidney disease, we often think of dialysis or transplantation," said Doctor Ronald McCoy, spokesperson for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), "but the reality is that chronic kidney disease is much more common than many people realise and can cause severe illness beyond just the kidneys, such as heart disease and high blood pressure.



"Although one in seven adult Australians show some signs of chronic kidney disease, many people don't realise that up to one in three are at increased risk of developing the condition - this is potentially a very common condition.



"The main problem is that there are usually no symptoms of early chronic kidney disease and the key to improving life is through early detection of those at risk of kidney disease through yearly checks with their general practitioner."



People at higher risk of chronic kidney disease include:


- Age > 50 years

- Smoking

- High blood pressure

- Obesity

- Family history of kidney disease

- Diabetes

- Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders >35 years of age


"Simple annual checks with your general practitioner for all those at risk combined with early treatment can significantly improve the lives of people with chronic kidney disease," Doctor McCoy said.



Information for general practitioners on the management of kidney disease is available in the RACGP Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice (the red book) here.


The RACGP endorses the Australian Kidney Foundation's Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Management in General Practice booklet. This booklet provides further guidance to assist with the identification, management and referral of chronic kidney disease in general practice, and is available from the RACGP website here.