Kidney transplants do earn more than 7,000 centuries of life

USPA NEWS - Experts estimate that kidney disease affects about 10% of citizens. Of these, a percentage can lead to kidney failure if appropriate measures are not taken and therefore needing renal replacement therapy with dialysis or transplantation.

Mortality from chronic kidney disease is a rising global problem. According to a recent study on Global Burden of Disease (GBD 2013), published in Lancet, chronic kidney disease is not transmissible cause of premature death that has grown in recent years, with an increase of 90% between 1990 and 2013. this increase is largely due to the difficulties of a large portion of the world population to access dialysis and transplantation, which are the alternative treatments for renal function. In this sense, the World Kidney Day 2015, celebrated on Thursday, is dedicated to chronic kidney disease in disadvantaged populations.

Each kidney transplant is a survival of 19.3 years and an average gain of 15.3 years. In Spain last year were performed 2,678 kidney transplants, bringing to 40,973 the years of life gained with this type of intervention in 2014 and more than 7,700 centuries if the data refer to the 50,390 transplants performed since the start of the National Organization Transplant (ONT its acronym in Spanish) 25 years ago.

So says the director of the ONT, Rafael Matesanz, who emphasizes the donation after cardiac death and living kidney donation as key factors in increasing kidney transplants in Spain. Donation after cardiac death, with a total of 192 donors in 2014, and represents 11.4% of all deceased donors and continues its upward trend. It also increases the living kidney donation, with 423 transplants last year, representing about 16% of the total.

However, in cases of terminal illness, where the kidney fails, transplantation is the best treatment option because it completely replaces all functions of the kidney. Dialysis only replaces the function of the kidney cleansing, but can not meet the additional features that this body is to produce proteins that fight anemia (erythropoietin) and aging. Therefore, it is considered that CKD is an accelerated aging syndrome.

According to the register of renal patients SEN-ONT, in Spain around 52,000 patients have advanced CKD requiring replacement of renal function and each year more than 5,000 new cases are diagnosed. In Spain, more than half of patients with this disease live with a transplanted kidney. It is the only country in a medium-large size which achieved this situation thanks to the high transplant activity.

Along with the control of hypertension, diabetes and obesity, factors that contribute to the onset and progression of kidney disease, the Spanish Society of Nephrology (SEN its acronym in Spanish) has also placed this year's emphasis on the importance of consumption water in preventing renal disease. "The water needs for our bodies are different depending on age and circumstances of our lives. The population unknown water consumption that is necessary and the impact on your kidneys may have not drinking adequate amounts at all times“, says Mary Dolores del Pino, president of the SEN.

In his view, "subclinical kidney disease may appear to consume little water. Errors us to comment in childhood and adolescence then just manifesting in adulthood or older. We are in time to avoid them“. The SEN estimated 20% of fluid intake comes from solid foods we consume and 80% of water and other liquids. 60% of our body weight is water. Because compensatory mechanisms in our body, we can be in a position to mild dehydration, without thirst. People with insufficient hydration and prolonged exposed to high temperatures, may suffer episodes of subclinical renal damage and as a result, have a greater susceptibility to chronic kidney disease.