Almost 2.7 Million Australians Affected By ‘Silent Disease’

The latest statistics show concerning trends in kidney health among Australians.

The kidney is an important detoxification organ of the human body and is crucial to human health. Davizro Photography/Shutterstock

When Optus executive Shailendra Tripathi started experiencing headaches after work, he initially dismissed them as the result of work stress.

A healthy lifestyle and no history of drinking or smoking led him to believe the symptoms were nothing serious.

“I was young and healthy, so I was thinking, it must just be the work pressure. I would take some Nurofen every now and then and things would settle down,” Tripathi told 9 News.

However, as the headaches continued, Tripathi went to his doctor, who told him he had high blood pressure and gave him medication for it.

However, his kidney function went unchecked.

Tripathi only found out the real reason during a mandatory annual workplace health check in 2015.

“When the blood report came in, I found out my kidney function was down to about 50 percent,” Tripathi said.

Tripathi was in early-stage kidney disease.

“It came as a massive surprise, and it was a shock, not only to me, but my whole family, because I’m a non-smoker,” he added.

Tripathi said he was thankful for the health checkup at work, which may have saved his life.

“If I had left it, I would have ended up on dialysis two or three years later,” he said.

By managing his diet, exercise, and medication, Tripathi was able to slow the progression of his condition over the past decade. He now retains around 40 percent of his kidney function.

“It’s not the end,” he said. “If you get an early diagnosis, then you can manage it extremely well and live a normal life.”

Chronic Kidney Disease in Australia

Tripathi’s case is not isolated, reflecting a concerning trend in kidney disease for Australians.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a gradual decline in kidney function, meaning the kidneys become less efficient at filtering blood. It can also cause a type of protein, called albumin, to leak into urine.

Known as a “silent disease,” CKD often shows no symptoms until it reaches the later stages of the disease.

The latest National Health Measures Survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) highlights some patterns.

According to the March 31 report, 14.2 percent (1 in 7) of Australian adults aged 18 and above reported they had indicators of CKD.

This is a 10.8 percent increase from 2012.

More concerning is that only 7.4 percent of adults have been diagnosed with kidney disease. This leaves around 2.49 million Australian adults who have signs of CKD but do not know that they have it.

Chris Forbes, CEO of Kidney Health Australia, said these figures pointed to a “public health emergency.”

“We are on a collision course with disaster. Twenty-five years ago, CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) was the 19th leading cause of death. Today it sits at nine,” Forbes told 9 News.

“By 2050, it is projected to be the fifth leading cause of death. That is an unacceptable trajectory for a disease that is largely preventable.”

Forbes said kidney disease was often linked to other serious health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and a family of kidney failure.

He further added that smoking/vaping, being overweight/obese, and heart conditions such as heart attack, heart failure, and heart disease are also risk factors for CKD.

While there are various methods of treating CKD, the key is early detection.

Kidney Health Australia is urging all Australians, particularly those at increased risk of kidney disease, to visit their doctor and get a kidney health check.

“A simple kidney health check could save your life,” Forbes said.