Many people know how easy it is to ignore small changes in the body. A bit of tiredness, some swelling, or feeling dehydrated can all be brushed off as nothing.
But when these patterns repeat themselves, they can sometimes be signals we overlook for far too long.
Around the world, millions are now facing a health issue that grows quietly until it suddenly becomes serious.
A growing global burden
Researchers from NYU Langone Health, the University of Glasgow, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (healthdata.org) have been studying a rapid rise in chronic kidney disease.
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Their latest analysis shows that the number of affected adults has nearly doubled over the past three decades, placing kidney disease among the leading global causes of death.
Much of this development is tied to long-term conditions that are already widespread, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
Understanding the key drivers
The research team used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (gbd.healthdata.org), reviewing thousands of scientific publications and national health records.
One of their central findings is that early kidney damage rarely shows clear symptoms. That means many people only learn about the disease when their kidneys are already heavily impaired.
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Risk factors identified in the analysis include: Elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure, and higher body weight
These elements increase strain on the kidneys long before symptoms appear.
Unequal access to lifesaving care
Another major challenge highlighted by the researchers is that access to treatment is far from equal.
In many lower-income regions, dialysis and transplants remain limited and extremely expensive.
Even though new medications have been developed to slow kidney damage and reduce complications, these therapies are not yet widely available.
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The report stresses that early testing, lifestyle awareness, and affordable treatment will be essential if global trends are to change.
Artiklen er baseret på informationer fra ScienceDaily and The Lancet
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