Magazin
2010-03-10
Strasbourg, France, March 10, 2010 (ots/PRNewswire) - The EuropeanKidney Health Alliance (EKHA) and World Kidney Day (WKD)organisations today call for European Union (EU) support. Earlyawareness, identification and treatment of chronic kidney disease(CKD) and its associated diseases, including diabetes - the leadingcause of CKD(1) - must be prioritised on the EU health agenda. TheMembers of European Parliament (MEP) Group for Kidney Health met withdistinguished panellists at the European Parliament in Strasbourgtoday at a meeting held to coincide with the annual global healthawareness campaign World Kidney Day, 11th March 2010.
Mrs. Frieda Brepoels MEP commented, "The European Union shouldcontinue to encourage the competent authorities in the Member Statesto take action to address the problem of chronic kidney disease,diabetes and the other associated diseases. Preventative strategiesare the only way to minimise the number of people needing organtransplants in the future. Increasing awareness of CKD is the firstand, perhaps, most important step towards preventing kidney failure.Today, we urge the EU to use its authoritative voice to supportcompetent authorities in developing public health programs thatacknowledge the importance of preventing CKD."
Speaking at the event, Professor Andrew Rees, Chairman of EKHAcommented, "Although, chronic kidney disease affects at least 10% ofthe European population(2), there is little awareness of the problemsit causes, particularly amongst high-risk groups such as patientswith diabetes. Today we are calling for novel strategies to improveearly detection of CKD as part of a coordinated approach to tacklemajor chronic diseases."
Indeed, the lack of awareness among at-risk patients wasillustrated by results from a pan-European survey conducted amongstdiabetes patients which showed that, while the majority ofrespondents (67%) with diabetes were aware that they were atincreased risk of CKD, worryingly, almost 70% have never discussedsteps they should take to look after their kidneys with their doctor.Only 12% of these respondents correctly assumed that CKD has noobvious symptoms, highlighting the urgent need to raise awareness andimprove early detection of CKD.
Professor Eberhard Ritz, Department Internal Medicine, RupertoCarola University, Nierenzentrum, Heidelberg added, "There is anurgent need for improved public awareness, detection rates andsubsequent management of chronic kidney disease in clinical practice.Through this, we hope to reduce the number of people needlesslysuffering from CKD and its consequences."
In its most advanced stage, CKD requires renal replacementtherapy with dialysis or transplantation. The EU can play animportant role in ensuring safety and quality standards of organs fortransplantation and increasing the supply of available donor organs.Of special importance is to acknowledge the role living donation canplay in helping to alleviate the current organ shortage. EKHA callson the European Parliament to respect the different cultures andbeliefs of the Union and to allow each Member State to decideindividually whether living donation is complementary or subsidiaryto deceased donation.
The EKHA event at the European Parliament, Strasbourg wassupported by Amgen.
Notes to editors:
About The European Kidney Health Alliance
The European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA) is an Alliance ofnot-for-profit organisations who represent the key stakeholders inkidney health issues in Europe.
EKHA takes a multidisciplinary approach involving patients andtheir families, doctors and nurses, researchers and other healthcareprofessionals who work cooperatively for a European healthenvironment in which there is a sustained decrease in kidney diseaseand its consequences.
About World Kidney Day
World Kidney Day (WKD) is a global health awareness campaignfocusing on the importance of our kidneys and reducing the frequencyand impact of kidney disease and its associated health problemsworldwide. The campaign is celebrated every year on the secondThursday of March in more than 100 countries on 6 continents.
About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovativehuman therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was oneof the first companies to realise the new science's promise bybringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturingplant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics has changed the practice ofmedicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fightagainst cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and otherserious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential newmedicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science todramatically improve people's lives. To learn more about ourpioneering science and our vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com.
About CKD and its Symptoms
Chronic Kidney Disease is the general name for persistentirreversible damage to the kidney. In its earliest stages, thekidneys may only have minor structural damage. Often such damagetends to progress if undetected and untreated. One of the signs ofearly CKD is the presence of small amounts of protein in theurine.(2) More advanced CKD is characterised by progressively greaterabnormalities in the chemical composition of the blood, anaemia - acause of tiredness and shortness of breath, and bone abnormalities.The most advanced form of CKD occurs when the kidney has been nearlycompletely destroyed and treatment with dialysis or kidneytransplantation is required for survival. Many individuals with CKDdo not progress to kidney failure and treatment has the twinobjectives of correcting the abnormalities resulting from the kidneydamage and of preventing progression to more advanced stages.
The most common causes of CKD are diabetes, hypertension, andglomerulonephritis(1) and many factors contribute to its progression.Loss of albumin into the urine is one of these key factors and whenthis occurs, renal disease usually progresses to the end stage unlessreversed by treatment. The growing prevalence of obesity-related type2 diabetes coupled with the ageing population has increased thenumber of people with CKD or at risk of it.(3)
About a third of people with diabetes will go on to develop CKD,as having diabetes may harm the blood vessels in the body and cancause kidney damage.(4) Diabetes is the leading cause of CKD.(1)
About the Survey
The survey was conducted by research agency TNS, among 962patients, across 5 European countries (France, Germany, UK, Italy andSpain). The sample consisted of 227 patients with diabetes, 486 withCVD, and 233 with both conditions. 16 further patients had CKD incombination with diabetes and/or CVD. The survey was conducted tohighlight current gaps in knowledge among at-risk groups (CVD anddiabetes patients) and the importance of public health strategies toaddress the urgent need for CKD recognition. The survey was conductedin 2009.
References
(1) National Kidney Foundation, 2009, How Your Kidneys Work,http://www.kidney.org/kidneyDisease/howkidneyswrk.cfm#what
(2) de Jong PE, van der Velde M, Gansevoort, RT, Zoccali,Z.Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease: Where Does Europe Go? Clin JAm Soc Nephrol 2008 3:616-623
(3) King H, Aubert RE, Herman WH. Global burden of diabetes,1995-2025: prevalence, numerical estimates, and projections. DiabetesCare 1998; 21: 1414-1431.
(4) National Kidney Foundation, 2009, Diabetes and Chronic KidneyDisease, http://www.kidney.org/atoz/pdf/diabetes.pdf
ots Originaltext: European Kidney Health Alliance; World Kidney DayIm Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de
Contact:CONTACT: EKHA Media Queries, Anna Rouillard, +32-2-639-6230,anna.rouillard@ekha.eu; or WKD Media Queries, Marie-Agnes Cederborg,+32-2-213-13-98, Marie-Agnes.Cederborg@interel.eu; or Amgen Media Queries,Elisabeth Neal, +44-20-7300-6137, elisabeth.neal@bm.com
Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetes - Major Risk Factors Amongst Europe's Population to Be Urgently Addressed
Mrs. Frieda Brepoels MEP commented, "The European Union shouldcontinue to encourage the competent authorities in the Member Statesto take action to address the problem of chronic kidney disease,diabetes and the other associated diseases. Preventative strategiesare the only way to minimise the number of people needing organtransplants in the future. Increasing awareness of CKD is the firstand, perhaps, most important step towards preventing kidney failure.Today, we urge the EU to use its authoritative voice to supportcompetent authorities in developing public health programs thatacknowledge the importance of preventing CKD."
Speaking at the event, Professor Andrew Rees, Chairman of EKHAcommented, "Although, chronic kidney disease affects at least 10% ofthe European population(2), there is little awareness of the problemsit causes, particularly amongst high-risk groups such as patientswith diabetes. Today we are calling for novel strategies to improveearly detection of CKD as part of a coordinated approach to tacklemajor chronic diseases."
Indeed, the lack of awareness among at-risk patients wasillustrated by results from a pan-European survey conducted amongstdiabetes patients which showed that, while the majority ofrespondents (67%) with diabetes were aware that they were atincreased risk of CKD, worryingly, almost 70% have never discussedsteps they should take to look after their kidneys with their doctor.Only 12% of these respondents correctly assumed that CKD has noobvious symptoms, highlighting the urgent need to raise awareness andimprove early detection of CKD.
Professor Eberhard Ritz, Department Internal Medicine, RupertoCarola University, Nierenzentrum, Heidelberg added, "There is anurgent need for improved public awareness, detection rates andsubsequent management of chronic kidney disease in clinical practice.Through this, we hope to reduce the number of people needlesslysuffering from CKD and its consequences."
In its most advanced stage, CKD requires renal replacementtherapy with dialysis or transplantation. The EU can play animportant role in ensuring safety and quality standards of organs fortransplantation and increasing the supply of available donor organs.Of special importance is to acknowledge the role living donation canplay in helping to alleviate the current organ shortage. EKHA callson the European Parliament to respect the different cultures andbeliefs of the Union and to allow each Member State to decideindividually whether living donation is complementary or subsidiaryto deceased donation.
The EKHA event at the European Parliament, Strasbourg wassupported by Amgen.
Notes to editors:
About The European Kidney Health Alliance
The European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA) is an Alliance ofnot-for-profit organisations who represent the key stakeholders inkidney health issues in Europe.
EKHA takes a multidisciplinary approach involving patients andtheir families, doctors and nurses, researchers and other healthcareprofessionals who work cooperatively for a European healthenvironment in which there is a sustained decrease in kidney diseaseand its consequences.
About World Kidney Day
World Kidney Day (WKD) is a global health awareness campaignfocusing on the importance of our kidneys and reducing the frequencyand impact of kidney disease and its associated health problemsworldwide. The campaign is celebrated every year on the secondThursday of March in more than 100 countries on 6 continents.
About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovativehuman therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was oneof the first companies to realise the new science's promise bybringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturingplant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics has changed the practice ofmedicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fightagainst cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and otherserious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential newmedicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science todramatically improve people's lives. To learn more about ourpioneering science and our vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com.
About CKD and its Symptoms
Chronic Kidney Disease is the general name for persistentirreversible damage to the kidney. In its earliest stages, thekidneys may only have minor structural damage. Often such damagetends to progress if undetected and untreated. One of the signs ofearly CKD is the presence of small amounts of protein in theurine.(2) More advanced CKD is characterised by progressively greaterabnormalities in the chemical composition of the blood, anaemia - acause of tiredness and shortness of breath, and bone abnormalities.The most advanced form of CKD occurs when the kidney has been nearlycompletely destroyed and treatment with dialysis or kidneytransplantation is required for survival. Many individuals with CKDdo not progress to kidney failure and treatment has the twinobjectives of correcting the abnormalities resulting from the kidneydamage and of preventing progression to more advanced stages.
The most common causes of CKD are diabetes, hypertension, andglomerulonephritis(1) and many factors contribute to its progression.Loss of albumin into the urine is one of these key factors and whenthis occurs, renal disease usually progresses to the end stage unlessreversed by treatment. The growing prevalence of obesity-related type2 diabetes coupled with the ageing population has increased thenumber of people with CKD or at risk of it.(3)
About a third of people with diabetes will go on to develop CKD,as having diabetes may harm the blood vessels in the body and cancause kidney damage.(4) Diabetes is the leading cause of CKD.(1)
About the Survey
The survey was conducted by research agency TNS, among 962patients, across 5 European countries (France, Germany, UK, Italy andSpain). The sample consisted of 227 patients with diabetes, 486 withCVD, and 233 with both conditions. 16 further patients had CKD incombination with diabetes and/or CVD. The survey was conducted tohighlight current gaps in knowledge among at-risk groups (CVD anddiabetes patients) and the importance of public health strategies toaddress the urgent need for CKD recognition. The survey was conductedin 2009.
References
(1) National Kidney Foundation, 2009, How Your Kidneys Work,http://www.kidney.org/kidneyDisease/howkidneyswrk.cfm#what
(2) de Jong PE, van der Velde M, Gansevoort, RT, Zoccali,Z.Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease: Where Does Europe Go? Clin JAm Soc Nephrol 2008 3:616-623
(3) King H, Aubert RE, Herman WH. Global burden of diabetes,1995-2025: prevalence, numerical estimates, and projections. DiabetesCare 1998; 21: 1414-1431.
(4) National Kidney Foundation, 2009, Diabetes and Chronic KidneyDisease, http://www.kidney.org/atoz/pdf/diabetes.pdf
ots Originaltext: European Kidney Health Alliance; World Kidney DayIm Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de
Contact:CONTACT: EKHA Media Queries, Anna Rouillard, +32-2-639-6230,anna.rouillard@ekha.eu; or WKD Media Queries, Marie-Agnes Cederborg,+32-2-213-13-98, Marie-Agnes.Cederborg@interel.eu; or Amgen Media Queries,Elisabeth Neal, +44-20-7300-6137, elisabeth.neal@bm.com
European Kidney Health Alliance; World Kidney Day
| Preisvergleich Medikamente |
|
In Zusammenarbeit mit Medizinfuchs |
