Diabetes and high blood pressure the main causes of kidney failure in Malaysia – experts
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the main causes of kidney failure in Malaysia, said Dato’ Dr Zaki Morad, a consultant physician nephrologist attached to KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital.
He was speaking at the 14th Annual Dialysis Meeting 2017 on the 25th of November which was organised by the National Kidney Foundation.
He also said that kidney failure in turn leads to cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is a class of diseases that involves the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (or commonly known as a heart attack).
To curb this, he recommended a healthy lifestyle consisting of the following: quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy weight within the BMI range, lowering salt intake and avoiding a high-protein diet.
Also speaking at the event was Dr Feisul Idzwan Mustapha (of the Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia) who said that high blood pressure is a large cause of death in Malaysia.
In the United States, three-quarter health expenditure goes to diabetes alone. In Malaysia, the figure is 10%.
The 14th Annual Dialysis Meeting 2017 was a two-day meeting covering patient-centred approach to dialysis care. It attracted over 500 individuals who were provided with demonstrable personal, clinical and organisational benefits through 28 innovative sessions led by notable experts, key note speeches and the opportunity to network with hundreds of professionals.
Speaking during the opening launch, Dr Thiruventhiran Thilaganathan, the Chaiperson of the 14th ADM Organising Committee said, “As an organisation, we are committed to building partnerships and support for our patients. This year’s meeting is an opportunity for us to take responsibility to embrace the patient-centred approach and to lead a better quality of life for ERSD patients in Malaysia.”
To know more about the National Kidney Foundation and how you can help, go to http://www.nkf.org.my
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