Kidney Health Australia is calling on Australians to find out early if they are at risk of kidney disease, as waiting for symptoms is too late to slow it down.
Three in four Australians are at risk of kidney disease, with the highest contributing factors being diabetes and high blood pressure.
Nephrologist and Senior Medical Advisor, Dr Richard Phoon, a longstanding member of Kidney Health Australia’s advisory committee, said: “Early detection has never been more important. We have a unique opportunity to change the future for so many Australians. The best thing you can do this Kidney Action Week is find out if you are one of the three in four Aussies at risk of kidney disease.”
Testing to see if you are at risk has never been easier. Kidney Health Australia urges adults to take a simple two-minute online test to determine if they are at risk of developing kidney disease.
Kidney Health Australia CEO, Chris Forbes, said: “Kidney Health Australia’s online test can be taken anywhere, any time, and includes nine questions that help identify your risk of kidney disease.
‘’The test will determine whether a follow-up appointment with your GP for a kidney health check is recommended – a simple check that could save your life.
“It’s so simple to detect kidney disease, just a matter of getting your GP to test your blood pressure and undergo a blood and urine test.”
Of the approximate two million – or one in 10 – Australian adults affected by kidney disease, 1.8 million are completely unaware of it, probably due to the lack of symptoms.
“There are exciting new treatments for kidney disease that can slow down the progression to kidney failure,” Dr Phoon said.
“Loss of kidney function can happen without people experiencing any visible symptoms. You can be living normally one day and on life support hooked up to a dialysis machine the next day, without any real warning.
“That’s not a life anyone wants, yet most people find themselves suddenly diagnosed with kidney failure, not knowing they were even in those earlier stages.”
