Reducing obesity may reverse kidney damage

*Cedar Hospitals intensify awareness on renal damage, berates medical tourism, promise affordable care

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified obesity as a potent risk factor for the development of kidney disease even as it said that reducing obesity might reverse or slow Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) progression.

The WHO in a statement ahead of the World Kidney Day (WKD), March 10, 2017, said it increases the risk of developing major risk factors of CKD, like diabetes and hypertension, and it has a direct impact on the development of CKD and end stage renal disease (ESRD): in individuals affected by obesity, the kidneys have to work harder, filtering more blood than normal (hyperfiltration) to meet the metabolic demands of the increased body weight. The increase in function can damage the kidney and raise the risk of developing CKD in the long-term.

Also, as part of its activities to mark the WKD Cedar Group of Hospital in conjunction with the Association of General Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) Amuwo Odofin/Ojo branch have raised awareness to educate the general public about the impending danger caused by the scourge, how to prevent it and also how to take care of the kidney.

WKD aims to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.

The theme of 2017 WKD is “Kidney disease & obesity.”
Director of Cedar Group Hospital, Adanma Elizabeth Akpabio, in her remarks said that the hospital, which has been in existence since 2001, has been holding the lecture annually, for the past three years as its way of creating awareness for the community.

Akpabio also revealed that kidney diseases have become bad that a lot of people are having it, and there is no much information about it and we think we should bring it up so that people will learn about it have a better knowledge of what is about and can better take care of their selves in case such disease is diagnosed.

She added: “You can also help people around you. If you have information and better equipped, assist people around you. Ours is just to create awareness and let people know about it.”

The Director advised Nigerians to shun medical tourism, boasting of the state of the art dialysis at the hospital that comes with affordability and within the locality.

Meanwhile, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Cedar group, Dr. Chukwuma Ogunbor said that the event is a global event that takes place every second Thursday of March and Cedar group founded in 2001 had its dialysis centre established in 2011.

He said the initiative is to give back to the community, create awareness and enlighten the masses on how to take care of their kidney, about kidney diseases and how it can be treated. Ogunbor highlighted the effectiveness and the affordability of the centre urging the masses to patronise their own in other to reduce medical tourism.

Consultant Nephrologist, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Ile-Ife, Prof. Fatiu Arogundade, said that in Nigeria we have very high cases of kidney diseases and many succumb to it. He outlined obesity as leading cause of kidney failure.

His words: “Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have a negative effect on the health and the major causes can be excessive food intake, lack of physical activity, genetic susceptibility and mental illness.”

The professor also said that one of every five people has kidney diseases, which come in five stages and also that obesity can lead to hypertension and diabetes.

He cautioned Nigerians to watch their weight saying: “The body mass index (BMI) is the index we use to determine whether somebody’s weight is higher than normal body BMI that is 25kg/m2. The optimal weight is between 20 and 25kg/m2. If it is higher than 25, (between 25 and 29) we define the patient as being over weight. The people that are overweight are also exposed to the risk of obesity, even though we define those above 30BMI as obese. Those that are overweight also have the tendency to develop complications that obese individual will develop.”

On the issue of cost of treatment he revealed that they have been working on bringing down post transplant immunosuppressive drugs and very recently they have a conference at OAU where the Minister of Health chaired the session and he echoed the government feelings that they government is concerned in Nigerians dying of kidney diseases and come next year, post transplant immunosuppressor for patients transplanted in Nigeria will be free.

Arogundade added: “For the prevention exercise is very essential, swimming running and jogging brisk walking so as to burn off the calories. We should work for our health and bring our weight down in a bit to maintain a healthy life.”

Meanwhile, according to WHO, obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. In 2014, worldwide over 600 million adults were obese.

This year WKD promotes education about the harmful consequences of obesity and its association with kidney disease, advocating healthy lifestyle and health policy measures that makes preventive behaviors an affordable option.