Clipping Board » Disease & Prevention ─ Understanding diseases, prevention is better than cure.
Update Date: 2009/05/15 10:06 (Central News Agency Reporter Huang Guofang, Chiayi City, May 15th)
John Hsu, a specialist in nephrology at Chiayi Christian Hospital, stated today that Taiwan has one of the highest prevalence rates of dialysis in the world. The reasons for the worsening of kidney disease include not only poor control of chronic diseases but also the public's inappropriate medication habits, which should not be overlooked.
Hsu pointed out that risk factors for chronic kidney disease include diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and a family history of chronic kidney disease. Early detection and control of blood sugar in diabetes can help protect kidney function from deteriorating. Additionally, higher blood pressure causes greater damage to kidney blood vessels, while proper control can preserve kidney function. According to data released by the National Health Insurance Administration, dialysis expenses for end-stage kidney disease patients ranked first in outpatient expenditures in 2008.
He mentioned that patients with diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases form the main group at risk for chronic kidney disease. However, most of them, even if they have chronic kidney disease, may not seek treatment in nephrology departments. Therefore, preventing and managing kidney disease does not rely solely on nephrologists but also requires the joint efforts of pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, social workers, and the public to make chronic kidney disease prevention more effective.
With nearly 20 years of experience in treating kidney disease in Taiwan, Hsu is usually busy with patient consultations and care. To enhance his professional knowledge, he pursued a master's degree in public health at Harvard University from 2006 to 2008. The high prevalence of dialysis due to chronic kidney disease in Taiwan drew the attention of Harvard scholars and professors, leading to multiple discussions on the issue.
Hsu noted that, aside from poor control of chronic diseases, inappropriate medication habits and long-term misuse of Western drugs are also contributing factors to chronic kidney disease. Other causes include the use of unverified weight-loss drugs, abuse of painkillers, and reliance on folk remedies.
Hsu emphasized that everyone is at risk of developing chronic kidney disease because, under normal physiological conditions, kidney function begins to decline with age starting between 35 and 40 years old. However, when kidney function deteriorates, there are often no obvious symptoms, making it difficult to detect.
Therefore, Hsu stressed that it is not difficult for the public to check whether their kidneys are damaged. Regular monitoring every three months through urine tests, blood tests, and blood pressure measurements—the three key kidney health checks—can help prevent and manage chronic kidney disease. 980515
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 090515/ 5/ 1jjdf. html
High Dialysis Rate: Doctors Cite Inappropriate Medication as A Cause
John Hsu, a specialist in nephrology at Chiayi Christian Hospital, stated today that Taiwan has one of the highest prevalence rates of dialysis in the world. The reasons for the worsening of kidney disease include not only poor control of chronic diseases but also the public's inappropriate medication habits, which should not be overlooked.
Hsu pointed out that risk factors for chronic kidney disease include diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and a family history of chronic kidney disease. Early detection and control of blood sugar in diabetes can help protect kidney function from deteriorating. Additionally, higher blood pressure causes greater damage to kidney blood vessels, while proper control can preserve kidney function. According to data released by the National Health Insurance Administration, dialysis expenses for end-stage kidney disease patients ranked first in outpatient expenditures in 2008.
He mentioned that patients with diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases form the main group at risk for chronic kidney disease. However, most of them, even if they have chronic kidney disease, may not seek treatment in nephrology departments. Therefore, preventing and managing kidney disease does not rely solely on nephrologists but also requires the joint efforts of pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, social workers, and the public to make chronic kidney disease prevention more effective.
With nearly 20 years of experience in treating kidney disease in Taiwan, Hsu is usually busy with patient consultations and care. To enhance his professional knowledge, he pursued a master's degree in public health at Harvard University from 2006 to 2008. The high prevalence of dialysis due to chronic kidney disease in Taiwan drew the attention of Harvard scholars and professors, leading to multiple discussions on the issue.
Hsu noted that, aside from poor control of chronic diseases, inappropriate medication habits and long-term misuse of Western drugs are also contributing factors to chronic kidney disease. Other causes include the use of unverified weight-loss drugs, abuse of painkillers, and reliance on folk remedies.
Hsu emphasized that everyone is at risk of developing chronic kidney disease because, under normal physiological conditions, kidney function begins to decline with age starting between 35 and 40 years old. However, when kidney function deteriorates, there are often no obvious symptoms, making it difficult to detect.
Therefore, Hsu stressed that it is not difficult for the public to check whether their kidneys are damaged. Regular monitoring every three months through urine tests, blood tests, and blood pressure measurements—the three key kidney health checks—can help prevent and manage chronic kidney disease. 980515
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 090515/ 5/ 1jjdf. html