Kidney disease cases increase as more Filipinos suffer from diabetes and hypertension, which is the two major causative factors that lead to renal or kidney disease.
Nephrologist Dr. Danny Yu and secretary of the Philippine Society of Nephrologists – Central and Eastern Visayas Chapter bared that more than 50 percent of those who have kidney problems is due to diabetes and 25 percent attributed to hypertension alone.
In 2008, there are 7,589 new dialysis patients nationwide while the prevalence rate of kidney disease in the country is 10 times higher, Yu bared.
Only 10 to 15 percent of people who suffer from kidney failure undergo dialysis because of financial constraints as one dialysis session costs between P1,800 to P3,500 while dialysis patients need to undergo dialysis two to three times a week.
End-stage renal disease or kidney failure is the 10th leading cause of mortality rate in the country where 7,000 Filipinos die every year while the real figure could be 10 times higher due to underreporting, disclosed the nephrologist. (PIA/FCR)
