ROME (ITALPRESS) – Chronic Kidney Disease is a progressive disease that irreversibly damages the kidneys. Often, it has no symptoms in the early stages, making early diagnosis difficult. If not detected in time, it can lead to kidney failure, requiring expensive treatments such as dialysis or transplantation, thus increasing the risk of mortality. In Italy alone, the disease affects about 10 percent of the adult population, but only one in 10 patients are aware of their condition.Last March, Deputies Mulè and Patriarca introduced a bill to start a chronic kidney disease screening program in the adult population. The program, through collaboration between general practitioners and nephrologists, aims to diagnose the disease in its early stages, when it is still possible to slow or halt its progression with traditional treatments.In light of this emergence, for the first time, with the nonconditional contribution of AstraZeneca, Bayer Italia and Boehringer Ingelheim, a working group bringing together all stakeholders in the field, consisting of the main scientific societies, clinicians, general practitioners and patient associations, has been set up to work together to draft a document that will enable the public decision maker to understand the phenomenon, causes, complications and economic impact of the disease.On the relevance of the project, Luca De Nicola, president of the Italian Society of Nephrology and scientific coordinator of the initiative, said, “Certainly, Chronic Kidney Disease has today an epidemic characterization. With the increase in the average age of the population and the growth of obesity, diabetes and hypertension, the number of patients is constantly increasing. Implementing a screening program for early detection of MRC is critical to slow its progression and improve patients’ quality of life. This working group allows for a thorough analysis of the problem, and, I am convinced that with the contribution of all stakeholders, we can make a difference in improving patients’ quality of life, and early detection.” Giuseppe Vanacore, president of the National Association of Hemodialysis Dialysis and Transplantation, stressed the importance of a preventive approach, stating “defending the dignity of patients and their rights is our mission, but there is still one aspect that is not adequately addressed: prevention. We could delay the specter of dialysis through a good conservative phase and effective prevention. With proper information, people could be aware of all the treatment options available, and we are happy to be able to discuss this with the working group. “Fundamental then is the contribution of general practitioners, represented by the Italian Society of General Practitioners and Primary Care Physicians, the Italian Federation of Family Physicians, and the Autonomous Union of Italian Physicians, who reiterated the importance of identifying high-risk patients in the early stages, when therapeutic intervention can be most effective. Collaboration with nephrologists will be decisive in slowing the progression of the disease, improving prognosis while reducing costs to the Health System. The working group meetings will make it possible to address the many critical aspects related to the disease, ensuring a continuous dialogue among the participants.What emerges from the working group will thus make it possible to put patients’ quality of life back at the center, thus aiming for a new strategy aimed at increasing investment in prevention. Collaboration between clinicians, patients and companies is therefore essential to build the future of healthcare, offering increasingly effective and sustainable solutions.
– press office photo Esperia Advocacy -(ITALPRESS).
