Increased incidence of chronic kidney disease in young people.

Every day, the Urology and Dialysis Center at Bach Mai Hospital receives 30-40 new patients, notably with an increasing number of patients under 30 years old.

One of the main reasons for the increasing incidence of chronic kidney disease among young people is unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits. Chronic kidney disease is no longer a problem for the elderly but is becoming increasingly prevalent among younger people.

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The Center for Nephrology and Dialysis at Bach Mai Hospital is currently treating approximately 160-180 inpatients with kidney failure. According to Dr. Nghiem Trung Dung, Director of the Center, many of the patients are young, most of whom suffer from chronic glomerulonephritis. Some even have end-stage renal disease.

One notable case is that of patient M, 30 years old, from Bac Giang. Mr. M was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure after experiencing abdominal pain and nausea while at work. Upon examination at the district hospital, M was shocked to receive this diagnosis, which turned his life upside down.

Similarly, patient H, 30 years old, from Hanoi , was warned about proteinuria in her urine after a routine health checkup in 2020. Although she was advised by her doctor to monitor and treat the condition, when symptoms such as foamy urine appeared, H went to Bach Mai Hospital for further examination and was surprised to learn that she had chronic kidney failure.

By 2022, when her condition worsened with symptoms such as nausea, insomnia, and altered taste, H was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure and had to undergo renal replacement therapy.

Dr. Pham Tien Dung, from the Center for Nephrology, Urology and Dialysis, said that the center is currently receiving many cases like M and H, and even patients as young as 15-16 years old who have end-stage chronic kidney disease. Most patients arrive when the disease is already too late and difficult to reverse.

If detected early, kidney disease can be treated to slow its progression and minimize complications. However, if left undetected, treatment costs will be very high and patients will face many serious complications.

According to medical experts, chronic kidney disease often progresses silently, with no obvious symptoms in the early stages. At the Center for Nephrology and Dialysis, many patients only discover the disease during routine health checkups at work or when preparing documents for studying abroad.

According to the Center's Director, Dr. Nghiem Trung Dung, the trend of younger people developing kidney failure is related to many factors, among which unhealthy eating habits and lifestyles play a significant role.

Excessive consumption of beverages of unknown origin, eating convenience foods like instant noodles (which are high in salt), along with unhealthy lifestyle habits such as staying up late, lack of exercise, and obesity, are risk factors leading to metabolic diseases, including chronic kidney failure.

Not only kidney disease, but many other diseases can also be detected early through regular health checkups. However, many people still have a habit of being complacent, not going for regular health checkups or being reluctant to go to medical facilities.

Early detection of chronic kidney disease can prolong the duration of conservative treatment, lower treatment costs, and improve its effectiveness. Conversely, when the disease is detected at a late stage, treatment costs increase, treatment duration is shortened, and it significantly impacts the patient's health and quality of life.

When kidney disease progresses to the end-stage, patients are left with only three treatment options: hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplantation. Regardless of the chosen method, patients and their families will face a lifelong burden of the disease.

Doctors recommend that to prevent chronic kidney disease, people should maintain a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, and undergo regular health checkups to detect and treat the disease promptly, avoiding serious complications later on.