Healthy Habits: Chronic Kidney Disease

When There’s No “Quick Fix” for What Ails You

Living with a chronic disease is complicated. Even more so, for the 37 million Americans living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), they may feel stuck, depressed and suffer economic pressure. According to a recent report, more than half of patients living with CKD said that the complications of their disease caused a profound impact on their day-to-day activities and overall quality of life. This includes impact on their mental well-being, sleep schedule and meal management.

One of the complications that patients most commonly experience with CKD is anemia, which, if left untreated, can become life-threatening. Anemia is a common yet serious medical condition in which patients have fewer red blood cells (RBCs) than normal and low levels of hemoglobin, a protein in RBCs which carries oxygen throughout the body. This causes the body to work harder to deliver oxygen to the tissues and organs, and often results in extreme fatigue, weakness and dizziness. 

Anemia of CKD is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Stagnation in science has led to a 30-year dearth in new treatments for anemia of CKD, and reported treatment rates for anemia of CKD are typically low at around 10-15%. Patients often feel overwhelmed and uncertain about what’s happening to their bodies, making it hard to get the help they need. As their condition progresses, many patients end up accepting their exhaustion and lower quality of life as the “new normal” and stop expecting anything different. 

After decades of inertia, recent advances have expanded the understanding of the complex pathophysiology of anemia of CKD. Dr. Robert Provenzano discusses anemia of CKD, its symptoms, and why it’s important to seek treatment. Dr. Provenzano also outlines some of the recent scientific developments that are leading to a shifting treatment paradigm for patients who live with anemia of CKD, so they can get more out of life.

 

Interview is courtesy:  AstraZeneca