Materia Medica Malaysiana

KIDNEY FAILURE DUE TO DIABETES: Malaysia ranks as world No 1

This is one position that Malaysia does not want!
The country has been ranked number one in the world when it comes to diabetes as the cause of kidney failure by the US Renal Data Registry.
Datuk Dr Zaki Morad Mohd Zaher, a consultant nephrologist with the Health Ministry, said: "We even beat the US and all other European countries.
"This is worrying because it implies that we are not controlling our diabetes very well," he said here today.
The number of Malaysians suffering from end-stage renal failure has increased more than 56-fold between 1980 and now — from 43 in 1980 to 12,000.
Nephrologists believe that the number of registered patients may not reflect the actual situation in the country as there could be many suffering in silence due to lack of facilities. Some could also have resorted to traditional or alternative treatment.
Dr Zaki said that at least nine out of every 100 Malaysians had diabetes.
And at least 40 out of every 100 diabetic patients would have kidney disease.
"The incidence of kidney failure is rising," he said, adding that they were getting 92 new end-stage renal cases per million population or between 2,000 to 3,000 new cases every year.
He said they also saw a trend of new cases among the older age group of 55 and above. The increase was about 21 per cent.
Dr Zaki, who is also the National Kidney Foundation Board of Managers vice-chairman, said in the 20-40 age group the number had levelled off to about five per cent as many of those with kidney failures were being treated.
"Kidney failure among the older group is rising and we also notice that diabetes is becoming a common cause of kidney failure in the country," he told the New Straits Times at the 2005 Kidney care campaign themed "Love your kidneys" launched by Health Ministry’s Parliamentary Secretary Lee Kah Choon today.
Dr Zaki said that between 2003 and last year, about 53 per cent of all new cases that started on dialysis were diabetic.
According to the World Health Organisation, Southeast Asia will have the highest rate of increase in diabetics, from 35 million in 2000 to 80 million in 2025.
More than eight per cent of Malaysian adults suffer from diabetes. And by 2010, this figure is expected to reach 12 per cent.
Dr Zaki said: "It looks like we are going to have more diabetes and kidney failure patients."
The Ministry has embarked on a new strategy to reduce these alarming figures through education, counseling and getting doctors’ cooperation.
Dr Zaki said they were now encouraging doctors, both in the public and private sectors, to educate their patients on diabetes prevention and if they already had the disease, the measures they had to take to prevent kidney failure.
"It may not be successful in every case but we are trying to reduce it by at least 20 to 30 per cent which in itself will be an achievement," he said.
The Ministry and the Malaysian Society of Nephrologists was working together to create awareness among doctors and allied health staff, while for public awareness the effort was being jointly done by the Ministry and the National Kidney Foundation.
Dr Zaki said early detection would help prevent kidney failure and this could be achieved only with people checking regularly if they suffered from kidney disease.
"Our aim is also to target those in the high risk group, especially with a history of family members having diabetes and kidney failure," he added.
He also pointed out that many Malaysians suffered from diabetes in urban areas because of their lifestyle.
"Exercise regularly, control blood sugar and stop smoking. Carbohydrates and food with refined sugar content should be eaten in moderation," he said, adding that Malaysians should cut down on nasi lemak and noodles and eat more of vegetables, legumes, wheat germ and other healthy food.
Meanwhile, Lee told a Press conference that 115 Government hospitals nationwide were providing dialysis for those suffering from kidney failure in addition to more than 70 dialysis centres run by non-governmental organisations and the private sector.
The Government subsidy for the treatment of kidney failure patients was RM17 million, he added.
He also disclosed that the Government had allocated RM10 million for the healthy lifestyle campaign, RM10 million to tackle HIV and another RM10 million for the anti-smoking campaign.