The cause was determined to be related to unscientific living and eating habits.
When young people suddenly discovered kidney failure
At the Neurological and Blood Clotting Center - Bach Mai Hospital, every day, 30-40 new patients are received, of which more and more people are under 30 years old.
Mr. T, 30 years old, once thought he was healthy despite frequent insomnia, nausea and prolonged fatigue. Thinking that it was due to stress, he subjectively did not go to the doctor. It was not until the symptoms became severe that he went to the hospital and was diagnosed with end-stage chronic kidney failure, forcing him to choose between regular blood filtration or kidney transplantation.
Dr. Nghiem Trung Dung - Director of the Center for Nephrology and Blood Leakage - Bach Mai Hospital - said that symptoms such as insomnia and taste changes are signs that the kidneys are no longer able to filter toxins. Cherical kidney disease progresses silently, and is difficult to detect without regular check-ups, Dr. Dung emphasized.
Many young patients who arrived at the hospital for the first time had to have their blood filtered for emergency care. When detected late, it not only shortens the duration of conservative treatment but also reduces the risk of kidney transplantation. Some people, even if a relative is willing to donate their kidneys, cannot get a transplant due to complications of heart failure.
Many young people of working age have to spend a long time with a kidney filter, Dr. Dung shared.
Similarly, at Hanoi Medical University Hospital, patient T.V.B, 24 years old, also suffered from end-stage kidney failure after a long period of living with bad habits: staying up late, drinking soft drinks instead of filtered water, eating instant noodles regularly, and being less active. When he discovered the disease, B. had to give up his business to work with a blood filtration machine two sessions a week, and his life was completely turned upside down.
The expensive price of unhealthy living habits
Nearly 850 million people in the world, equivalent to more than 10% of the population, are living with chronic kidney disease. In Vietnam, about 8.7 million adults are infected with the disease, but 90% do not know they are infected until it is late.
Chronic kidney disease is considered a "silent killer" because it progresses silently, without obvious symptoms in the early stages. If not detected early, the disease can cause serious complications such as heart failure, stroke, anemia, etc. It is forecasted that by 2040, chronic kidney disease will be the 5th leading cause of death globally.
In Vietnam, about 800,000 people are in the final stage and need a blood filter or kidney transplant. However, the health system only meets about 30% of this demand. The cost of treating chronic kidney disease currently accounts for 4.7% of the health budget and is expected to increase to 9.2% by 2026. Without effective control measures, the health system is at risk of serious overload.
At the Neurological and Blood Leakage Center, Bach Mai Hospital, it is not uncommon for patients with chronic kidney failure at a very young age. Some children are only 15 - 16 years old but have entered the final stage of chronic kidney disease, forced to have emergency blood filtration to maintain their lives.
Dr. Nghiem Trung Dung added: Most patients arrived too late, everything was almost unlikely to be reversed. If detected early, it can completely slow down the progression of kidney disease. However, reality shows that many people only know they are sick after general health check-ups or when completing procedures to study abroad or work.
When the disease is in the late stages, not only is the cost of treatment expensive but the duration of conservative treatment also shorter. Many cases come with emergency blood filtration. At that time, the kidneys were severely weak, accompanied by many dangerous complications such as heart failure, respiratory failure, etc. Patients no longer have much right to choose treatment methods. Even when under the conditions of a kidney transplant, too poor health makes it impossible to do.
According to doctors, the rejuvenation of chronic kidney failure is closely related to the unhealthy lifestyle of today's young people. A salty diet, frequent use of processed foods, drinks of unknown origin, late sleep, lack of exercise... are all risk factors for metabolic disorders and affecting kidney function.
