Test that may save your life
Nearly 66 Australians die every day with chronic kidney disease
It is one of Australia’s biggest killers and now millions of Australians are being urged to take a two-minute test that could help save lives – and $9.9 billion in taxes.
Nearly 66 Australians die every day with chronic kidney disease, a health problem labelled a “silent condition” because often there are no warning signs.
The disease kills more people each year than breast cancer, prostate cancer and even road traffic accidents, with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) recording 17,700 deaths in 2020.
And the number of Australians receiving either dialysis or a kidney transplant has more than doubled between 2000 and 2020 from 11,700 to 27,702.
Shane Jeeves was a fit and active father-of-five before chronic kidney disease claimed his life within a year after becoming an ambassador for Kidney Health Australia.
Mr Jeeves was diagnosed with early stage kidney disease when he was 39.
In 2019, it came as a shock to learn he had just six per cent kidney function and had to go on dialysis to stay alive.
Mr Jeeves died in 2020 from a kidney-related heart attack and his widow Jodie has stepped in to continue her husband’s work and legacy.
“With kidney disease, you really don’t know what’s going on under the surface,” Mrs Jeeves said.
“Shane was a fit and healthy person, heavily involved in sport, but we didn’t know that under it all, his kidneys were failing, probably for years.
“Early detection is so important because the earlier you find out, the more you can educate yourself and the better equipped you are to prolong your life and wellbeing.”
The AIHW estimated one in 10 adults – or 1.8 million people – had biomedical signs of chronic kidney disease.
And while the majority those people (97 per cent) showed signs of being in the earlier stages of the disease, it “remains a highly under-diagnosed condition”.
Peak body Kidney Health Australia is campaigning for people to get a health check in order to avoid kidney failure.
The online test can be taken anywhere and includes nine questions that help identify your risk of kidney disease and whether a follow-up appointment with your GP for a kidney health check is recommended.
“For the first time in 20 years, there are new treatments for kidney disease that can slow down the progression to kidney failure,” nephrologist and clinical director at Kidney Health Australia Dr Karen Dwyer said.
“Early detection has never been more important – we have a unique opportunity to change the future for so many Australians.”
Go to healthdirect.gov.au/ risk-checker/heart-kidneydiabetes.