"Kidney disease requires much earlier monitoring and intervention for diabetic patients"

My father has been a diabetic patient for over 15 years. His conditions include coronary heart disease, hypertension, high blood sugar and cholesterol. Over the last few years, the focus was on the heart disease as it is critical and received good treatment from doctors. He was lucky to have a stent put in, and stayed well on tablets for a few years.

About one year ago, he started to have kidney pain, and blood in his urine. It coincided with a period when his hypertension not under control. The first hospital doctor was very disappointing and offered nothing. Several months later, GP referred my father to a different hospital. The second doctor was much more knowledgeable and responsible, offered advice and treatment. However, my father’s kidney still went worse as time goes by.

It alerted me a few month ago as he started to get swelling ankles and getting anemia, which are symptoms of advancing CKD. I read a lot about the CKD and realized he is not far from Stage 5 kidney failure. In one year’s time, his GFR went from 31 to 23. The facts about dialysis and kidney transplantation shocked me, as not only the treatment is exhausting and time consuming for patients, but also because how much cost and resource it means to NHS.

In my opinion, the modern treatment for CKD is much more backward and awkward  than heart disease. It is very worrying and I wish I was alerted when my father’s GFR was at 50.

On the other hand, the internet gave me good ideas: a lot of vegetable and fruits can naturally protect kidney, reduce blood pressure and sugar. I wish I knew this 10 years ago.

Now it comes to the point I want to make:

Considering the huge cost of end stage kidney failure, I think it would make a huge difference if NHS introduces the following:

GP, hospital doctors should offer renal function blood tests(creatinine and GFR) and urine test(for leaking protein) for all diabetic/hypertension patients regularly to detect the worsening kidney function earlier on, so that action can be taken to prevent it from going worse. My father only got such test when his GFR was already at 31.

 

GP, hospital doctors should offer dietary advice for all patients with diabetics, hypertension, high blood sugar and cholesterol, as all these eventually will damage kidney/heart. Natural food has little side effect compared with medications and cost less. Further more, all medicines are disposed from liver or kidney, adding further burden to kidney disease patients.

 

The above was the lesson I learned over the last 10 years based on my father’s comprehensive range of diseases, and his medical experience.

If this can help other patients to improve their health, and help NHS to reduce cost, I will be happy with our contribution to the NHS.