World Kidney Day is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys.
Earlier today WEFM was joined by Dr. Malcolm Samuel, Lead Renal Transplant Surgeon at the National Organ Transplant Unit at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Trinidad & Tobago.
Dr. Samuel highlighted some of the top causes of kidney diseases not only here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but in the Caribbean, as well as well shared some ways persons can reduce the risk of the disease developing.
He started by discussing the theme for this year’s World Kidney Day and the importance of the healthy function of the kidneys.
“The theme for World Kidney Day today is “Kidney health for all” and it is essentially is just trying to emphasize that these two little organs in your flank, right at the back are so important that when they shut down, they shut down everything, so it is incumbent upon us all to take care of them.”
Dr. Samuel then went on to talk about some of the most popular causes of kidney disease in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the wider Caribbean.
“Most of the kidney failure and I dare say in St. Vincent is due to what we usually call secondary, secondary to something else—but the most common cause of kidney failure in the Caribbean amongst out population is people who have diabetes and hypertension” he said.
He then makes mention of ways persons can reduce the risk of the development of kidney disease.
“It is simple, you have to take care of your diabetes, take care of your hypertension. Eat properly, eat healthily and ensure that you don’t become overweight, that you exercise regularly and once you do those things it will reduce the risk; it wouldn’t absolutely go away, but it will reduce the risk of you developing the disease.” He said.
According to worldkidneyday.org, chronic kidney disease is common and harmful: 1 out of 10 adult people worldwide have it, and if left untreated it can be deadly.
Kidney disease related mortality continues to increase yearly and is projected to be the 5th leading cause of death by 2040.
