• A patient with chronic kidney disease should choose foods carefully
• They should take whole foods, more fresh fruits and vegetables with antioxidants
Image: STAR ILLUSTRATE
Chronic kidney disease is a common problem affecting an estimated 4 million Kenyans, with a significant proportion of this population progressing to kidney failure, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Poor nutrition, common lack of awareness, costs associated with the tests and the frequently poor access to laboratory services has been attributed to increasing cases of non-communicable diseases.
With the country experiencing a surge in cases of the coronavirus infection, medical experts have warned that people with underlying medical conditions, such as kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes or cancers, are at a higher risk of Covid-19.
To boost kidney health, Lucy Nyatta, a renal nurse at Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi, says a kidney failure patient should take a kidney-friendly diet and restrict the consumption of sodium, potassium and phosphorous nutrients.
“These nutrients play an important role in the body. But damaged kidneys can’t filter out the excess consumption. It’s usually recommended to limit them,” she said.
Lucy said a patient with chronic kidney disease should choose foods carefully and take whole foods, more fresh fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidants.
Eating plenty of fatty red meat, she said, makes kidneys work so much harder to get rid of the excessive waste generated from digesting the proteins and should be avoided.
“One can substitute fatty meats with legumes and nuts, or alternatively with unprocessed fish or poultry,” she said.
Dr Heriberto Roda, a nephrologist, says a regular check of blood pressure can help one discover kidney failure at an early stage.
He said the public has less awareness of kidney disease, despite having a high mortality rate compared to cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
“Sensitisation and awareness campaigns against all these diseases must be prioritised to bring down the mortality rate. Elimination of shared risk factors can help prevent the risk,” he said.
The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2015 study estimated that in 2015, 1.2 million people died from kidney failure, an increase of 32 per cent since 2005.
Additionally, the study found that an estimated 5–10 million people die annually from kidney disease globally.
Regular medical checkup and healthy diet remain the best ways of keeping non-communicable diseases at bay, Dr Heriberto said.
Edited by T Jalio
Image: Alphonce Gari