CHENNAI: The Sapiens Health Foundation held their 10th annual World Kidney Day celebrations at Raintree Hotel, Alwarpet, on Sunday, on the theme Kidney Health for Everyone, Everywhere. The Chennai-based NGO also released the book Save Your Kidney, Only You Can! at the event.
Chief guest Anil Kumar, the development centre head for Infosys in Chennai, released the first copy of the book, which detailed symptoms and treatments for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), how to control diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as diets that those affected by the disease can follow.
A Lancet Global Health study in 2013 showed a steady increase in kidney-related deaths in India, with diabetes being one of the main causes for renal failure. Kidney disease is also the eighth highest cause for deaths in India, according to a 2015 Global Burden of Disease report. “The message that we have been spreading over the last 20 years has always stood clear — we are focused on prevention. I see patients with high blood pressure, or with diabetes, who should have been checked earlier,” said Dr Rajan Ravichandran, founder-chairman, Sapiens Health Foundation.
He also briefed the audience on kinds of kidney failures, and lifestyle changes such as reducing salt, to the gathered audience.Dr Ravichandran also detailed the various activities the foundation has undertaken since their establishment in 1997. Professor N Gopalakrishnan, HoD nephrology, Madras Medical College, spoke at the event.
Myths and facts
| Myth | Fact |
| Kidney disease is hereditary | Not all of them are hereditary |
| Dialysis is a life-long treatment | Dialysis is temporary based on the kind of failure |
| It is not safe to donate a kidney | Based on general health, kidney donation is perfectly safe |
| Drinking beer is good for kidney | Though beer has a high water content and increases urine output, it is not good for the kidney |
| Kidney patients can consume salt substitutes | Salt substitutes are potassium chloride, so they are more dangerous for as the potassium excretion is already affected |