International Women’s Day: Women more likely to be hit by kidney disease

JAIPUR: ‘Kidneys and Women’s Health: Include, Value, Empower’ is the theme of the World Kidney Day 2018 that coincidentally falls on the International Women’s Day on Thursday.

Approximately 11% of adult population has chronic kidney disease. But as compared to men, women are more likely to get affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the disease’s progression is slower in women and fewer numbers end up on dialysis. Less women have a functional “fistula’ on hemodialysis. Several health conditions affecting the kidneys, like kidney infections, lupus nephritis, systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis are more common in women.

The risk of urinary tract infections also increases in women during pregnancy. Complications of pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, post-partum haemorrhage, and abruption of placenta are the major causes of acute kidney injury in women belonging to young age group. Pre-eclampsia (a disorder of pregnancy characterized by the onset of high blood pressure and often a significant amount of protein in the urine) also increases the risk of developing hypertension and chronic kidney disease in later life.

Pregnancy also accelerates loss of kidney function in those with pre-existing kidney disease. Kidney diseases increase incidence of menstrual disorders, sexual disorders, and affect fertility adversely. Pre-existing kidney disease increases incidence of hypertension, pre-eclampsia, acute kidney injury, small for date baby, prematurity, flare of autoimmune diseases and incidence of maternal and foetal death during pregnancies.

And though women are the major kidney donors in live kidney transplant programmes, there are fewer numbers of women undergoing kidney transplant. Women have less access to medical care than men.

Diagnosis, prevention of the disease, and timely treatment of kidney disease lead to improved health results in women.

(Dr Pratik Tripathi is DM in nephrology and is the additional director in the nephrology & renal transplant sciences department of the Fortis Escorts Hospital in Jaipur)