NEW data released this week by the UK’s leading kidney patient support charity, highlights an alarming lack of knowledge of the main signs of chronic kidney disease (CKD), with 1 in 4 (24%) unable to identify the 7 main signs of a loss of kidney function – compared to the UK average of 27%.

In response, charity Kidney Care UK is urging people to take their 5 minute online Kidney Health Checker to understand their level of risk and take action to prolong their kidney health as part of their #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign. James, a transplant recipient from Bredbury, a town in Greater Manchester, who received a donated kidney earlier this year, is backing the campaign.

“I want people to know the symptoms and get themselves checked out if they are at risk. I was having cramps after playing football, but I just put it down to dehydration and running around for 90 minutes in the cold, everyone thinking they’re the Erling Haaland of the 5-a-side league. But I let it carry on for 3 months before I did anything about it, and I was getting these awful headaches, too. I went from being a normal, healthy and active 24 year old lad playing 5-a-side football with my mates to needing a kidney transplant - in less than 3 years. The signs were there, but I didn’t think it was anything major. Because I didn’t know any better. Everyone says hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I just wish I’d acted sooner. So if you’ve got any of the symptoms or you could be at risk because of diabetes or high blood pressure, please get yourself checked out. It’s not worth waiting to see if it’s something serious because by then it might be too late.” , said James.

The most common signs of CKD are:- cramps, itchy skin, dietary changes (food tasting different to how it does normally), nausea and/or vomiting, exhaustion, changes to your wee and swelling of your ankles/legs or face.

The research also showed that:-

• Over 1/3 of people (37%) do not recognise that changes to your wee can be linked to kidney disease.

• Around 3/4 (73%) do not realise that itchy skin is a sign of kidney disease.

• Over 3/4 (78%) do not realise that muscle cramps are a sign that your kidneys may not be working properly.

• Over half (63%) of people in Wales do not know that puffy face, or swollen ankles/legs is a sign.

• Just under half (49%) of people do not recognise that exhaustion is a sign.
   

CKD currently affects 1 in 10 people – equivalent to more than 7 million people in the UK – but 1 million of those are not even aware they have CKD. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the 2 leading causes, but more than 70% of people with high blood pressure do not have an annual urine test for CKD2; furthermore  45% of people with Type 1 diabetes and 32% of people with Type 2 diabetes do not have their annual urine test for CKD3. Unless urgent preventative action is taken to improve diagnosis and treatment rates, CKD is predicted to be the 5th leading cause of death globally by 20404.

Fiona Loud, Director of Policy at Kidney Care UK, said:- “We want to see at risk groups in the North West of the UK screened for CKD as early as possible. Delay in the diagnosis of moderate to advanced CKD by just one year results in a 63% higher likelihood of kidney failure requiring costly and burdensome treatment to stay alive, such as dialysis or a transplant6. This also has a significant effect on people’s mental health and on their ability to work.  Whether people are identified early or late, there will always be a cost to the NHS; but by identifying people sooner more can be done to prolong their kidney health, improve their quality of life and reduce the impact on health and other services.”

Whilst age-based screening is offered for people aged 40 to 75 via the NHS Health Check, only half of all people invited for the NHS Health Check take up the offer. Innovations such as the new digital health check programme may make it easier for people to engage with their health. However, it’s important to note that people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes aren’t included in the health check programme.

Laurie Cuthbert, Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications at Kidney Care UK, added:- “We are concerned that a lack of symptom awareness amongst the general public in the North West, combined with a fear of not wanting to burden their GP9, means that some are at risk of losing as much as 90% of their kidney function without realising or taking simple steps to look after their kidney health. We hope that our #BloodyAmazingKidneys campaign will help raise awareness of the Bloody Amazing role they play. By empowering individuals to take control of their kidney health, we want to ensure that more people are diagnosed sooner and ultimately never reach kidney failure.”

Take 5 minutes to protect your kidneys today:- www.kidneycareuk.org/KidneyHealthChecker