Chronic kidney disease increases in Spain

The chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become one of the main public health challenges and it already affects 15% of the adult population in Spain. Every 75 minutes in Spain, a person starts dialysis treatment or receives a kidney transplant, which reflects the growing impact of this pathology, which progressively deteriorates the function of the kidneys until it prevents them from properly filtering the blood.

At the moment, more than 68,000 people require renal replacement treatment in Spain, a figure that increases every year. Of the total patients, 43% are on dialysis and 57% are living with a kidney transplant. Furthermore, different studies suggest that chronic kidney disease could be among the five main causes of death in the world in 2040.

“In advanced stages, kidney disease implies profound changes in the daily lives of patients, who become dependent on complex treatments and continuous health monitoring,” he points out. Daniel Gallegopresident of the National Federation of Associations for the Fight against Kidney Diseases (Alcer).

Specialists emphasize the importance of a coordinated approach between different health professionals to improve early detection and patient follow-up. In this sense, the doctor Meritxell Ibernonhead of the Nephrology Service of the Sant Joan Despí Moisès Broggi Hospitalhighlights that “multidisciplinary care is key in a chronic disease that is usually asymptomatic until advanced stages.”

In Spain, B. Braunthrough its division specialized in renal care Avitum, manages a network of 12 dialysis centers contracted with Social Security in seven autonomous communities, where more than 156,000 treatments are performed annually.

In this context, the company promotes the initiative ‘Your care changes your life every day’, which highlights the role of dialysis nursing. “The treatment of chronic kidney disease is not just technology; it is also support and comprehensive care to improve the patient’s well-being,” says Núria Ibáñez, director of the Avitum division of B. Braun Spain.