Kidney disease: the burden

850 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE are now estimated to have kidney diseases from various causes. Chronic kidney diseases (CKD) cause at least 2.4 million deaths per year and are now the 6th fastest growing cause of death.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), an important driver of CKD, affects over 13 million people worldwide and 85% of these cases are found in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Around 1.7 people are estimated to die annually because of AKI.

Moreover, CKD and AKI are important contributors to increased morbidity and mortality from other diseases and risk factors including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, as well as infections such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis. Furthermore, CKD and AKI in children, not only lead to substantial morbidity and mortality during childhood but also result in medical issues beyond childhood.

Challenges to kidney health: disparities & access

Despite the growing burden of kidney diseases worldwide, kidney health disparity and inequity are still widespread. CKD and AKI often arise from the social conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age including poverty, gender discrimination, lack of education, occupational hazards and pollution among others.

Transplantation is considered the most cost-effective treatment of CKD. However, it has high set up costs with regards to infrastructure and requires highly specialized teams, availability of organ donors and cannot be done without dialysis backup. Physical and legal infrastructure requirements and cultural bias against organ donation often present barriers in many countries, making dialysis the default option.

However, while national policies and strategies for non- communicable diseases (NCDs) in general are present in many countries, specific policies directed toward screening, prevention and treatment of kidney diseases are often lacking. More than half (53%) of countries that have an overarching NCD strategy in place have no management guidelines or strategy for improving the care of people with CKD (either specifically or within a broader NCD strategy).

What we call for

This year, World Kidney Day sets out to raise awareness of the high and increasing burden of kidney diseases worldwide and the need for strategies for kidney diseases prevention and management.

Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere calls for universal health coverage (UHC) for prevention and early treatment of kidney disease.

The ultimate goal of a UHC policy is to promote population health by ensuring universal, sustainable and equitable access to essential healthcare of high quality, protecting people from health impoverishment and improving equity in health across socioeconomic groups.

Specifically, WKD calls on everyone to advocate for concrete measures in every country to improve kidney care:

• Encourage and adopt healthy lifestyles (access to clean water, exercise, healthy diet, tobacco control. Many types of kidney diseases can be prevented, delayed and / or kept under control when appropriate prevention measures are in place.
• Make screening for kidney diseases a primary healthcare intervention including access to identification tools (e.g. urine and blood tests). Screening of high risk individuals and early diagnosis and treatment is cost effective to prevent or delay end-stage kidney diseases.
• Ensure kidney patients receive basic health services they need (e.g. blood pressure and cholesterol control, essential medications) to delay disease progression without suffering financial hardship.
• Call for transparent policies governing equitable and sustainable access to advanced health care services (e.g. dialysis and transplantation) and better financial protection (e.g. subsidies) as more resources become available. Breaking down socioeconomic barriers and expanding access to comprehensive services in order to meet the needs of the population is essential to guarantee equitable kidney care and increase quality.

Join our call for Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere!

If you have any questions or would like to speak to us in more depth please send us a message on our Contact Page. Or alternatively, give one of our dedicated staff members a call @ 0733 994 368.

Pathway International: providing Global Healthcare Solutions.

The post World Kidney Day 2019 appeared first on Pathway International.

Liver and kidney are our body’s ‘care-takers’ who constantly strive towards keeping the body healthy by protecting it from the external invaders that intoxicate our body and make sure our body runs smoothly. Instead of reciprocating the good things they do for us, we end up troubling them even more by loading our body with more and more toxins.

Liver is the second largest organ of the body (after skin) and its primary function is body detoxification and secondary is fat metabolism. It keeps the body clear of junk which can otherwise pose a risk of diseases. Little do we think about liver’s state when we gorge on that pizza/burger or any other refined food and drinks (including alcohol). Sugar is the top most useless substance that is known to slow down the liver. Continuous exposure to junk/alcohol/drugs and medicines, makes our liver appear like a terrible porous sponge that needs to be wrung out.

You probably have a burdened liver if you have:

• A frequent headache
• Fatigue
• Poor concentration
• Allergies and rashes
• Itchy eyes,
• A bitter taste in the mouth.

While liver ensures effective excavation of toxins, kidney ensures efficient filtration of the by- products of the proteins and some minerals like sodium, potassium, etc which otherwise can pose a toxic threat to the body. Any glitches in kidney can affect its function of filtration, causing these substances to build up in body. Uric acid, creatinine, urea are few of these by-products which when accumulated in body can hamper our health.

Few early symptoms of a troubled kidney include:

• Blood pressure fluctuations
• Water retention (edema)
• Urinary problems
• Fatigue
• Skin rashes/itching
• Metallic taste in mouth (due to urea build up)
• Nausea and Vomiting

This requires a fix! Rather than wait for these symptoms to proceed into a full blown disease, we need to take some preventive measures to halt the progression.

A liver and kidney cleanse can sort it all out. A regular cleansing of the two will not even let you go through these off-putting symptoms, but in fact will make sure we keep these organs hail and hearty.

To flush these organs:

• Stay off from animal products twice a week including eggs, chicken, red meat, seafood.
• Up the fiber content of your meals through green veggies, nuts, whole grains- Ragi/ jowar/ whole wheat/ bajra/ brown rice and legumes.
• Go fruity- Enjoy the natural colours through oranges, sweet lime, guava, pear, papaya, berries, etc. Cranberry, pomegranate, and blueberry juices are known to enhance kidney function.
• Enjoy vegetable smoothies made out of beetroot, celery, carrots, cucumber.
• Keep the enemies away- Saturated fats (bakery items, red meat, butter, mayonnaise, etc.), refined sugar and alcohol.
• Go easy with caffeine (tea/coffee) as that’s another toxin liver and kidneys have to deal with.

Water is their best friend! 2 liters or 8 glasses are not enough to cleanse these burdened organs. 3-3.5 liters of water (12-14 glasses) is what we need to keep them sparkling fresh.

Regular flush out of liver and kidney will not only treat but, will also keep us miles away from headache, fatigue, abdominal discomforts, skin problems, etc. An added advantage of cleansing is, when the liver is freed of toxins, it reduces its efforts of detoxifying the body and it can then focus better on its next function of fat metabolism, resulting in a faster breakdown of fat.

Don’t just keep your body clean from the outside; take care of it from within too

Questions? Call +254 718 994368 / 733 994368 or E-mail wecare@pathwayintl.co.ke

Pathway International: providing Global Healthcare Solutions.

The post Liver & Kidney Detoxification appeared first on Pathway International.

Step 1

Emphasize high-quality proteins, in limited quantities. Protein is necessary for maintaining organ function and repairing damaged tissue. If you have compromised kidney or liver function, you should be aware that eating too much protein places a strain on these organs. Higher quality protein foods include meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Lower quality proteins are those found in vegetables and whole grains but both kinds of protein are important to maintain healthy kidney and liver function. Speak with your doctor or dietitian about how many grams of protein you need daily.

Step 2

Stay within your caloric range, which should be provided by your health care provider or dietitian. Anyone who has compromised kidney function should strive to maintain a health weight. Eating healthy foods throughout the day and staying within caloric guidelines can help you lose weight and prevent excess weight from putting a strain on both your kidneys and liver. Excess calories can impair the functioning of the liver and causes fat to be stored in the liver. Consume 15 calories for every pound you weigh as a baseline amount of daily intake.

Step 3

Limit your intake of sodium. Sodium or salt is an essential mineral that is also widely used to preserve foods. Consuming too much sodium can cause an imbalance of water in your body, placing a strain on the kidneys. In addition, salt causes water retention, especially in individuals with kidneys and a liver that aren’t functioning properly. The excess water can place a strain on the cardiovascular system and increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Always read nutritional labels because sodium is often hidden in foods like frozen and canned vegetables. You should be able to get plenty of sodium naturally from the healthy foods you eat and not as an additive ingredient.

Step 4

Avoid drinking alcohol which can cause significant liver and kidney impairment and damage. Alcohol destroys liver cells and can disrupt the delicate electrolyte balance the body maintains to maintain biological stability. Drinking alcohol can also cause your body to retain water in an effort to restore electrolyte balance. Unfortunately, water retention causes more impairment of kidney and liver functioning and can lead to complete organ failure if left untreated.

Questions? Call +254 718 994 368 / 733 994368 or E-mail wecare@pathwayintl.co.ke

Pathway International: providing Global Healthcare Solutions

The post How To Maintain A Healthy Kidney & Liver Naturally appeared first on Pathway International.