Kidney Health: The importance of primary care in health care and in reducing system costs

Abstract

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is considered a public health problem (1) with a high disease burden, affecting 9.1% of the world's population (2017) with 1.2 million deaths annually. (2. 3). In Argentina, the prevalence is estimated at 3.8 million cases (4), representing 12.7% of the population over 18 years of age. It is an asymptomatic disease and affects the population unequally, falling more heavily on the most vulnerable sectors. While premature mortality accounts for most of the disease burden, morbidity is also significant. Late treatment in advanced stages of the disease (dialysis and transplant) generates very high costs for the health system and significantly worsens people's quality of life (5). The marked lack of knowledge of kidney disease in the population and the factors that could cause it contribute to its progression. It is commonly identified in advanced stages due to another ailment, apparently different from kidney disease and other comorbidities, generally cardiovascular conditions, which is why many patients die from associated pathologies without detecting CKD. The leading causes of CKD are modifiable, except age and other biological, genetic, or hereditary conditions. It is necessary to develop public health promotion and disease prevention policies to address risk factors and substantially reduce the disease burden.