Kidney disease can quietly damage the body for years before clear symptoms appear, and doctors in the UAE said that some patients are still being diagnosed only after the condition has reached an advanced stage.
Specialists said the problem is that the kidneys can continue working even after losing a significant part of their function. By the time a patient notices something is wrong, the damage may already be serious.
“The kidneys function in silence,” said Dr John Cherian, specialist nephrologist at Aster Hospital, Mankhool. He said chronic kidney disease usually develops slowly and its early symptoms can be subtle enough to be missed by patients and, at times, even during routine care. “Unfortunately, we still see a significant number of people being diagnosed at an advanced stage of kidney disease,” he said.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Who is most at risk?
Doctors said that the people with diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity face some of the biggest risks of developing chronic kidney disease.
Dr Cherian said type 2 diabetes remains the leading cause among patients he sees, followed by hypertension. Other causes include glomerulonephritis, polycystic kidney disease and chronic kidney infections.
Dr Umar Maqbool, specialist general surgery – transplant services at Burjeel Medical City, said diabetes and hypertension are also among the most common causes of chronic kidney disease in the UAE, while obesity is another major risk factor.
The concern is not limited to older people. Dr Cherian said kidney disease has traditionally been associated with older age groups, but younger patients are increasingly being diagnosed as diabetes and obesity become more common earlier in life.
Younger people can also develop kidney disease because of autoimmune disorders, genetic conditions and inflammation affecting the kidneys.
Symptoms may appear late
Dr Maqbool said there are warning signs that should never be ignored. These include frothy urine, swelling of the face or body, blood in the urine, muscle cramps and shortness of breath.
But doctors stressed that waiting for symptoms is not the safest approach because some patients may have significant kidney damage before obvious signs appear.
This is why screening becomes especially important for people who already have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or obesity.
Dr Cherian said awareness has improved, with more people now coming forward for kidney screening and more patients with diabetes and hypertension having their kidney health monitored.
Two simple tests can help
Doctors said kidney problems can often be picked up through two relatively simple tests. One is the GFR, or glomerular filtration rate, which helps doctors estimate how well the kidneys are filtering the blood. The other is the urine ACR, or albumin-creatinine ratio, which checks whether protein is leaking into the urine.
Dr Cherian said both tests are widely available and relatively inexpensive. Early detection can allow doctors to start treatment before the disease progresses further and may help delay or prevent kidney failure.
Prevention starts much earlier
Dr Maqbool said residents should focus on controlling the conditions that damage the kidneys over time. That includes maintaining a healthy lifestyle, exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet and undergoing preventive health checks.
People with diabetes or high blood pressure should make sure these conditions are properly treated and monitored, he said.
He also warned against unnecessary self-medication, particularly the frequent use of painkillers, which can affect kidney health in some patients.
For doctors, the message is simple: kidney disease should not be thought of as a condition that always comes with obvious warning signs. By the time symptoms become difficult to ignore, some patients may already have advanced disease.
Regular screening, especially for people with diabetes, hypertension or obesity, can help detect kidney damage much earlier, before dialysis or transplantation ever becomes necessary.
Source: Khaleej Times
